From US News and World Report:
Democrats target Georgia's Chambliss over son's lobbying
By Danielle Knight
Posted 3/7/06
Related Links
More from Inside Washington
A new Democratic organization critical of GOP senators is taking aim at Sen. Saxby
Chambliss, a freshman Republican from Georgia.
The Senate Majority Project, launched with fundraising help from former Senate
Democratic leader Tom Daschle, points out that Chambliss's son, Bo, is a registered
lobbyist with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and lobbies on commodity futures
trading issues that are directly under the purview of his father, who chairs the
Agriculture Committee.
"Potential Abramoffs of the world, take note: Lobbying is a whole lot easier
when you're lobbying your daddy," says Mike Gehrke, executive director of
the SMP and the former research director for the Democratic National Committee.
It is not against the rules for relatives of senators to lobby Congress. Moreover,
Angie Lundberg, Chambliss's communications director, told U.S. News that Chambliss
sought guidance from the Senate Ethics Committee several years ago about how to
deal with his son's lobbying.
Since May 2004, the senator's office has had a written office policy that staff
members must refrain from engaging in any meeting or activity involving lobbying
by Bo Chambliss.
"Staff should not be informed of any lobbying that Bo might undertake with
respect to committees or subcommittees on which Senator Chambliss serves,"
says the policy obtained by U.S. News.
The Senate Majority Project is also drawing attention to Chambliss's being ranked
third among lawmakers reporting corporate jet flight reimbursements. According
to information released by PoliticalMoneyLine yesterday, Chambliss reported 60
reimbursements to corporations totaling $101,795 for air travel from 2001 to 2005.
The use of corporate jets is controversial because members only have to reimburse
companies the price of a first-class commercial ticket for a ride on a corporate
jet, a good deal. This may change with future lobbying reforms.
Chambliss is one of the first GOP senators to be targeted by the Senate Majority
Project. The SMP is an attempt by Democrats to create a permanent opposition-research
arm focusing on Republican senators.
Prominent Democratic strategists are involved in the project. Besides Gehrke,
others include Jim Jordan, former executive director of the Democratic Senatorial
Campaign Committee, and Steve Ricchetti, a former high-level staff member under
President Clinton.