Subject: [big campaign] Watchdog Group Files FEC Complaint on McCain, Launches New TV Ad On McCain-Lobbyist Airbus Deal
From: David Miller <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:24:21 -0400
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 9, 2008

CONTACT
David Miller, Communications Manager
(202) 448-6154

Watchdog Group Files FEC Complaint on McCain, Launches New TV Ad On
McCain-Lobbyist Airbus Deal

Washington, DC  Campaign Money Watch, a nonpartisan campaign finance
watchdog group, announced today it has filed a complaint with the Federal
Election Commission concerning Sen. John McCain¹s (R-AZ) presidential
campaign, asking the commission to investigate two issues related to Tom
Loeffler, Susan Nelson, and Rick Davis, the lobbyists that run and have
fundraised for McCain¹s White House bid.

The organization also began running a television ad regarding John McCain¹s
intervention in an Air Force contract worth up to $100 billion that was
awarded to Airbus, its parent company, and partners. Seven lobbyists aiding
John McCain¹s campaign worked for Airbus¹ American affiliate, and McCain
received more in campaign contributions from them than any other politician.

The ad can be watched at http://www.campaignmoney.org/mccainairbus and the
complaint can be read in its entirety at
http://www.campaignmoney.org/mccainfec.

³Both the complaint and the ad go to the heart of one of the most troubling
aspects of McCain¹s campaign  his symbiotic relationship with powerful
Washington big money lobbyists and fundraisers,² said Campaign Money Watch
director David Donnelly. ³John McCain has refused to answer questions
regarding excess contributions, illegal corporate donation, or both. By
filing this complaint, we will force him to end his stonewalling on these
matters. By running this ad, we will force a debate on his relationship with
lobbyists and fundraisers on his campaign.

³The FEC complaint is directly connected to the ad: The same lobbyists that
aided Airbus are at the center of activity that we have reason to believe
violated federal election law,² Donnelly continued.

The first part of the complaint asks the FEC to investigate whether McCain¹s
national finance director, lobbyist Susan Nelson, received illegal
compensation from The Loeffler Group, a lobbying firm founded by Tom
Loeffler, who resigned in May as McCain¹s national finance co-chair. The
money Nelson received from the firm was ostensibly for work for the lobbying
firm¹s clients, though records do not indicate any recent lobbying work by
Nelson. The McCain campaign has refused to explain what services Nelson
provided for Loeffler¹s clients.

The second part of the complaint concerns a possible illegal corporate
donation from 3eDC, a private Web company partly owned by campaign manager
and lobbyist Rick Davis. Before Davis became campaign manager, the campaign
incurred more than $1 million worth of bills from 3eDC. Soon after Davis
assumed the reins of the campaign, however, that bill was reduced by
$107,475 without documentation. There is reason to believe that the company
made an illegal corporate contribution to the campaign.

McCain¹s cozy relationship with lobbyists is also the subject of the ad that
is on the air today in the Washington, D.C., market and released online to
the group¹s 150,000 email subscribers. The spot draws attention to a defense
contract awarded to Airbus and its parent company EADS and partners, over
Boeing. McCain¹s intervention helped Airbus land the contract, worth up to
$100 billion. Seven Airbus lobbyists are top fundraisers or staff members
for McCain¹s presidential campaign. McCain also has received more in
political contributions from Airbus than any other politician.

³Sen. McCain¹s intervention to help Airbus land this contract raises
important questions about the influence lobbyists and political
contributions have on his decision-making and whether he can provide the
change America needs,² Donnelly said.

Campaign Money Watch, a project of the nonpartisan Public Campaign Action
Fund, works to hold politicians accountable for opposing comprehensive
campaign reform, and for doing favors for big money donors and lobbyists. In
mid-May, Campaign Money Watch launched FiretheLobbyists.com to call on Sen.
McCain to remove lobbyists from his campaign team.

### 

-- 
David Miller
Communications/Web Manager
Public Campaign Action Fund/Campaign Money Watch
1828 L St. NW #250
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 448-6154

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