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Fact Check: Boehner Not the Top Recipient of Lobbyist Donations
Published December 23, 2015
June 16, 2010: House Minority John Boehner, R-Ohio, participates in a ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington. Boehner recently came under scrutiny for his financial relationship with lobbyists. (AP).
A Sunday New York Times article portrayed House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, as "especially" indebted to lobbyists, a condition touted by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs in a tweet.
But the article does not mention the fact that 45 current or recently departed Democratic House members have raised more from lobbyists this election cycle than Boehner has, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has raised nearly twice as much.
One Republican media adviser who has had kind things to say about President Barack Obama said he finds the White House strategy of escalation inadvisable in this case as a means to sway voters.
"I think they hear the president talk about John Boehner and their reaction is, 'What in the hell is he talking about? Why isn't he talking about the economy? Why isn't he talking about policies that matter to me? He's talking about some guy in the Republican minority leadership that I've never heard of and I don't care about,'" said GOP strategist Mark McKinnon.
The following fact check on donations from lobbyists is based on information culled from the Center for Responsive Politics.
STATEMENT: "Nancy Pelosi has raised almost twice as much money from lobbyists this election as Boehner has."
CORRECT: Boehner has raised $39,500 from lobbyists for this campaign cycle compared to $71,350 raised by Pelosi. That is 1.8 times as much raised by Pelosi as Boehner.
STATEMENT: "Sens. Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid have pocketed more lobbyist cash in the past 18 months than Boehner has raised in the past six elections combined."
CORRECT: In the current election cycle, three politicians have raised more than $299,490 from lobbyists, the amount that Boehner has received since 1999. They are Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who raised $501,686, Sens. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., with $363,651
and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., with $337,013.
STATEMENT: "This election cycle, Boehner is not in the top 20 recipients of lobbyist cash."
CORRECT: The top 20 recipients of lobbyist cash this election cycle are:
| Candidate | Amount |
| Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. | $501,686 |
| Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark. | $363,651 |
| Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. | $337,013 |
| Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. | $266,023 |
| Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. | $258,771 |
| Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C. | $204,374 |
| Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa. | $194,721 |
| Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. | $194,700 |
| Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii | $167,807 |
| Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. | $166,427 |
| Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. | $161,728 |
| Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla. | $154,500 |
| Sen. John Thune, R-S.D. | $150,176 |
| Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md. | $142,378 |
| Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa | $139,813 |
| Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. | $133,679 |
| Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska | $126,700 |
| Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. | $118,600 |
| Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. | $117,899 |
| Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. | $107,133 |
STATEMENT: "At least 18 House Democrats have raised more lobbyist cash this election than Boehner has."
CORRECT: As of Aug. 22, 2010, for this election cycle, 45 current or former Democratic House members have raised more in lobbyist contributions than Boehner, including late Rep. John Murtha.
| Name | Amount |
| Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. | $194,700 |
| Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla. | $154,500 |
| Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md. | $142,378 |
| Rep. Charles Melancon, D-La. | $101,752 |
| Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. | $100,882 |
| Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Mass. | $89,500 |
| Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del. | $83,963 |
| Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich. | $83,895 |
| Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. | $80,618 |
| Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. | $80,494 |
| Rep. Dan Maffei, D-N.Y. | $76,806 |
| Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Fla. | $74,991 |
| Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va. | $73,400 |
| Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. | $71,350 |
| Rep. Paul Hodes, D-N.H. | $68,470 |
| Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. | $68,352 |
| Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn. | $67,935 |
| Rep. David Obey, D-Wis. | $67,535 |
| Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass. | $64,904 |
| Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J. | $63,520 |
| Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash. | $62,105 |
| Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa. | $61,750 |
| Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass. | $60,861 |
| Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich. | $60,560 |
| Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va. | $60,150 |
| Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich. | $59,211 |
| Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo. | $57,830 |
| Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan. | $57,148 |
| Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass. | $55,950 |
| Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D. | $55,650 |
| Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa. | $55,593 |
| Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif. | $55,292 |
| Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore. | $54,150 |
| Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa. | $53,893 |
| Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass. | $52,050 |
| Rep. Ed Pastor, D-Ariz. | $50,934 |
| Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind. | $50,525 |
| Rep. Frank Kratovil, D-Md. | $50,143 |
| Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash. | $48,922 |
| Rep. Patrick Tiberi, R-Ohio | $48,625 |
| Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas | $48,450 |
| Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas | $46,452 |
| Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J. | $46,120 |
| Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas | $46,050 |
| Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif. | $45,550 |
| Rep. Scott Murphy, D-N.Y. | $44,209 |
| Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. | $43,708 |
| Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash. | $43,646 |
| Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y. | $43,500 |
| Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. | $42,733 |
| Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash. | $42,594 |
| Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif. | $42,550 |
| Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif | $42,500 |
| Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif. | $42,485 |
| Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y. | $42,050 |
| Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D-Fla. | $41,749 |
| Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. | $40,990 |
| Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Fla. | $40,592 |
| Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif. | $39,911 |
| Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. | $39,706 |
| Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio | $39,500 |
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fact-check-boehner-not-the-top-recipient-of-lobbyist-donations