As we’ve looked into the backroom dealings of members of Congress here at Irregular Times, we’ve seen a lot of shady dealings, but I can’t think of another special Washington D.C. arrangement so far this year that shows the chutzpah of special event put on by former U.S. Representative, and current U.S. Senate candidate, Pat Toomey tonight.
Toomey will be joined by John Thune, U.S. Senator from South Dakota, at 419 Constitution Avenue NE in Washington D.C. from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM for a “Young Professionals Fundraising Reception”. What’s the big deal? For one thing, 419 Constitution Avenue NE is the address of the Lemunyon Group?, a lobbying firm.
As for the “young professionals” attending this fundraiser, you’ll see that the “hosts”, who are paying Toomey for the privilege of that title, are almost all of a particular variety:
Glenn LeMunyon
Anything but a young professional, Glenn LeMunyon is an old hand at DC political games, having served as an aide to U.S. Representative Tom DeLay, and currently making special deals as President of the lobbying firm hosting the soiree.
Cesar Conda
Another professional stretching the credibility of the word young, Cesar Conda started working in Washington D.C. as an aide to Republican Senator Bob Kasten way back in 1987. Conda worked on the profound failure of the 1996 Dole-Kemp presidential campaign, then went on to work for Senator Spencer Abraham and then Vice President Dick Cheney before leaving government to join the Executive Committee of a lobbying firm called DC Navigators.
Pat Raffaniello
Raffaniello started work back in the 1980s working for big oil companies and then for the NRA, before going to work as a Chief of Staff for Bill Brewster in Congress for four years. Since then, he’s been a lobbyist at three different lobbying firms, until he founded his own lobbying firm, Raffaniello & Associates, two years ago.
Drew Cantor
Mr. Cantor doesn’t fool around with non-profits. He lobbies for the US Chamber of Commerce, Allstate Insurance, the Committee on Capital Markets Regulation and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association. Smells like money!
Lawrence Willcox
Larry used to work for Senator John Kyl and the Senate Republican Policy Committee, but now works as a federally registered lobbyist at Capitol Tax Partners, where, as you can imagine, he is busy representing the needs of average Americans… along with clients such as tobacco giant Altria, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, GE, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and the ever sparkling Clean Coal Solutions.
Bill Wichterman
This young whippersnapper has been a top aide in both the Senate and House of Representative, as well as serving as a special assistant to George W. Bush. For the last year, however, Wichterman has been a lobbyist with Covington & Burling.
Mathew Lapinski
Young Goodman Lapinski used to work with the lobbying firm of Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates. Presently, he is a Managing Director at the lobbying firm Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, where much of his work is taken with the duty of “providing political intelligence services to clients throughout the financial services community.” Oh dear. Pat Toomey and Senator Thune wouldn’t be passing along any political intelligence to Mr. Lapinski tonight, would they?
Galen Roehl
Roehl has been working in Senator Sam Brownback’s office for 6 years now, but Brownback has said he’s not running for re-election. What will Roehl do next? A “young professionals” gathering is a great place to meet people looking for a brand new lobbyist!
Chris Singerling
Formerly the Political Director for top House Republican John Boehner, this genuine young fella is now working in the “Political Affairs Division” for Associated Builders and Contractors, running the association’s political action committee and supervising “grassroots efforts and regional political managers”. Hmmm. If you’ve got a paid political operative running working through regional political managers, how is his work grassroots?
Amy Smith
There are two Amy Smiths working as federal lobbyists. One works with Bartlett & Bendall, and the other works with Sanofi Pasteur. It’s not fair for me to guess which lobbyist this particular Amy Smith is, or even to presume that she is a lobbyist, the name Amy Smith is so common. I will note, however, that an Amy D. Smith – same middle initial as the current Bartlett & Bendall lobbyist – was a legislative assistant to Pat Toomey in 2000 and 2001. (Career tip: If your family name is Smith, Jones or Davis, you too can have a career as a stealthy political insider.)
Tonnie Wybensinger
Wybensinger is one of the few non-lobbyists hosting tonight’s Young Shills Reception. He used to work as a legislative assistant to Pat Toomey, but is now Chief of Staff for Blaine Luetkemeyer. Note to young lobbyists: Here’s a chance to get in some political influence on the side!
Pat Toomey’s campaign web site promises “A New Voice In Washington”. Which new voice would that be? The Goldman Sachs new voice or the International Swaps and Derivatives Association new voice?
Methinks the role of the “young professionals” (read: young lobbyists) is to come to the party thrown by the old lobbyist folks, write checks to the old politician folks, and grumble about the day when they’ll have enough seniority to hitch “young professionals” to their own yoke.
Tonnie is a “she.” Thanks for your research though, I appreciate it! Now, if you only actually knew us…..
Well, Glennie, that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? We’re not Washington D.C. lobbyists. We’re not paid big bucks to go to these receptions, gaining entrance to the company of public officials with dollar bills as tickets, are we? So, no, of course we don’t know much about you, and whatever influence you are working to exert over our government. The problem is that we’ve got elected officials giving special access to lobbyists like yourself, and you’re completely unaccountable to anyone but those clients who have the big bucks to hire you. You doesn’t introduce yourself to the public and make yourself accessible for our feedback. We’ve got to search on our own for information about you, as you gladhand your clients’ interests into public policy, inviting a U.S. Senator and a candidate for Senate right into your lobbyist townhouse to exchange money for access. You’re an unaccountable, corrupting influence on our nation.
Ah, but you know who’s who in D.C., right? Sure, because you’ve got the dollars to buy the relationships. Congratulations on a system of friends for hire, Glennie.
No, no, Peregrin, you don’t get what Glenn means. That’s an invitation for you to become one of the indentured “young professionals,” at the entrance price of just $1,000 per person, $5,000 per PAC.
Oh, so that’s why I don’t know Glenn LeMunyon! I haven’t paid the special friendship fee. Hm. I think I’ll try to pay my mortgage instead. Sorry, Glennie.
corporate whores