Obama bought 4 mill earmarks for Bidens Lobbyists son Joseph R. Biden Jr.
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Sen. Barack Obama sought more than $3.4 million in congressional
earmarks for clients of the lobbyist son of his Democratic running
mate, Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, records show. Obama
succeeded in getting $192,000 for one of the clients, St. Xavier
University in suburban Chicago.
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Obama's campaign has taken a hard stance against the world of lobbying
in the nation's capital. Obama said he limits his own efforts to get
money for pet projects -- a process known as earmarking -- to those
that benefit the public. He has posted his earmark requests on his
presidential campaign Web site to encourage transparency.
Since Obama announced his selection of Biden on Saturday, attention
has focused on Biden's lobbying connections as well as his son's
lobbying activities. R. Hunter Biden is one of many relatives of
members of Congress who work as lobbyists.
The younger Biden started his career as a lobbyist in 2001 and has
registered to represent about 21 clients that have brought in $3.5
million to his Washington firm, according to lobbying disclosure
forms.
Sen. Biden has collected more than $6.9 million in campaign
contributions from lobbyists and lawyers since 1989, according to the
Center for Responsive Politics.
A spokesman for the Obama campaign said that Hunter Biden himself has
never lobbied his father. Another lobbyist in the firm successfully
sought an earmark from the senator for the University of Delaware. But
Hunter did not work on the account, the spokesman said.
Campaign spokesman David Wade also said Hunter Biden never appealed
directly to Obama.
"Hunter Biden met with the Obama Senate office, not with Senator
Obama," Wade said. "It's hardly surprising that a Senator from
Illinois would fight for investments in Mercy Hospital, Thorek
Hospital and St. Xavier University right in Illinois, or that he'd be
joined in that effort by a Republican colleague, Representative Judy
Biggert."
Hunter Biden, a 38-year-old Georgetown graduate and Yale-trained
lawyer, is a name partner in the firm Oldaker, Biden & Belair,
founded by William Oldaker, an election lawyer and lobbyist who worked
on Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's 1980 presidential campaign and has been a
fundraiser and campaign adviser for Sen. Biden.
An analysis for The Washington Post by Taxpayers for Common Sense of
Hunter Biden's firm's lobbying business found that its clients
collected $2.7 million in earmarks in the last fiscal year.
One of those clients was St. Xavier University, a four-year, 5,600-
student institution run by the Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy in
Orland Park, Ill. Steve Murphy, vice president for university
advancement, said Hunter Biden approached him in 2005 offering to
secure congressional earmarks.
Hunter Biden and his colleague, Eric Schwerin, told Murphy they were
"working with a number of clients, institutions like yours, and we
would like to help you identify earmarks, federal support and
grants."
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> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/26/AR200...
> founded by William Oldaker, an election lawyer and lobbyist who worked
> on Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's 1980 presidential campaign and has been a
> fundraiser and campaign adviser for Sen. Biden.
>
> An analysis for The Washington Post by Taxpayers for Common Sense of
> Hunter Biden's firm's lobbying business found that its clients
> collected $2.7 million in earmarks in the last fiscal year.
>
> One of those clients was St. Xavier University, a four-year, 5,600-
> student institution run by the Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy in
> Orland Park, Ill. Steve Murphy, vice president for university
> advancement, said Hunter Biden approached him in 2005 offering to
> secure congressional earmarks.
>
> Hunter Biden and his colleague, Eric Schwerin, told Murphy they were
> "working with a number of clients, institutions like yours, and we
> would like to help you identify earmarks, federal support and
> grants."
>
> CONTINUED 1 2 3 Next >
Obama bought 4 mill earmarks for Bidens Lobbyists son Joseph R. Biden
Jr.
Both losers.