Holmes Norton Defends Lobbyist Money Call
Politico reports:
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton’s campaign fired back at a conservative blogger who released a tape of her fundraising solicitation, explaining that requesting campaign contributions from lobbyists is completely above board and “standard.”
Andrew Breitbart, a hero of conservatives, released a solicitation that the D.C. Democrat left on a lobbyist’s voicemail, where she said that she noticed the lobbyist gave to other lawmakers and said she was “surprised” the lobbyist hadn’t given to her. She accused Breitbart of “trying to mislead” by releasing the voice mail.
“I am a senior member, 20-year veteran, and am chair of the subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management. I’m handling the largest economic development project in the United States now, the Homeland Security compound of three buildings being built on the old St. Elizabeth’s hospital site in the District of Columbia along with 15 other sites here that are part of the stimulus,” Norton said in her voicemail to the lobbyist, whose name was not disclosed in the Breitbart recording.
“I was frankly surprised to see that we don’t have a record so far as I can tell of your having given to me despite my long and deep work, in fact its been my major work on the committee and subcommittee has been essentially in your sector,” Norton continued in the voicemail. “I am simply candidly calling to ask for a contribution. As a senior member of the committee and a subcommittee chair, we have obligations to raise funds. And I think it must have been me who hasn’t frankly done my homework to ask for a contribution earlier, so I’m trying to make up for it by asking for one now when we particularly need contributions particularly those of us who have the seniority and the chairmanships and are in a position to raise funds.”
The campaign did not deny it was Norton, but sought to discredit Breitbart, by saying he is “best known for his misinformation concerning Shirley Sherrod” and accused him of “trying to mislead again.”
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