Edwards Counts Lobbyists Among Contributors

WASHINGTON – While Democrat John Edwards (search) boasts that he hasn't taken a dime from Washington lobbyists for his presidential campaign, he has accepted thousands of dollars from individuals or groups registered to lobby in Washington, or their spouses and children.

The lobbyist givers range from former Clinton White House chief of staff John Podesta (search) to the head of the National Education Association (search), the nation's premier teachers' lobby, an Associated Press review of Edwards' campaign finance reports found.

Edwards' campaign said it accepted the money because the donors weren't registered to represent a specific client at the time of their donation, even though they may have been listed as Washington lobbyists beforehand or afterward.

"Senator Edwards' policy is to refuse money from people who might lobby in front of him or other government officials," campaign spokeswoman Kim Rubey (search) said.

Podesta was registered to lobby with his brother's lobbying business in 2002 and registered anew in January to lobby for two new tax-exempt think tanks he formed. In between, he gave a $500 check to Edwards.

"This is not the plank in his platform that caused me to want to give him any money," Podesta said of Edwards' position that lobbyists have corrupted politics and should be banned from donating to candidates.

Edwards' definition of lobbyist hinges on whether someone meets the government's threshold for formally registering as a lobbyist, based on money earned or time and money spent seeking to influence Congress or the Bush administration.

Even if donors lobby at the state level or run firms or organizations that lobby Congress, their money is accepted by Edwards as long as they are not personally registered.

For instance, Edwards, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, received a $500 donation from National Education Association executive director John Wilson. Wilson himself isn't a registered lobbyist, but the union he runs spends roughly $1 million a year lobbying in the nation's capital.

Wilson, who used to lobby for a teachers group in Edwards' home state of North Carolina, said he has known Edwards for years and considers himself a friend.

"Generally, there have been times when he's called me and asked my opinion on something," Wilson said. "He's just someone who naturally is a strong supporter so I've never really felt the need to ask him for any special vote or that kind of thing."

Edwards' portrayal of himself as a Washington outsider annoys the Democratic front-runner, John Kerry, who pointed out in a debate Sunday that Edwards has been in the Senate for the past five years: "That seems to me to be Washington, D.C.," Kerry said.

Edwards accepted $2,000 from Washington powerbroker Vernon Jordan, a partner in Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, a law and lobbying firm that earns millions each year lobbying for clients. Jordan is a longtime friend and adviser of former President Clinton.

Edwards received $2,000 from Sandy Berger, a former Clinton national security adviser who is now chairman of Stonebridge International, a Washington consulting firm whose work in the past year includes lobbying for companies interested in business opportunities in Iraq. Berger himself doesn't lobby, a spokeswoman said.

Edwards accepted $2,000 from Mary Margaret Valenti, wife of top Hollywood lobbyist Jack Valenti, head of the Motion Picture Association of America. The Valentis also each gave $2,000 to Kerry.

"I can tell you without a doubt they are both friends and friendly with both the Kerrys and the Edwardses," MPAA spokesman Rich Taylor said of the Valentis.

Edwards received $2,000 from Theodore Downey, a college student and son of Washington lobbyist and former New York Democratic Rep. Thomas Downey, chairman of the Downey McGrath Group lobbying firm.

Theodore Downey is an Edwards family friend and has baby-sat for Edwards' children, Rubey said.

Edwards chose the co-founder of a lobbying firm, political consultant Nick Baldick, to run his campaign. Baldick gave $2,000 to Edwards' campaign.

The Sullivan & Baldick firm's clients over the past year included Merck-Medco, which lobbied on legislation that added a prescription drug benefit to Medicare, and Freddie Mac, a mortgage giant under congressional scrutiny after an accounting scandal.

Also giving Edwards $2,000 was Judith Thedford, who is married to Washington lobbyist Bill Oldaker; and Carol Berman, wife of Michael Berman, who is president of The Duberstein Group lobby firm and a former aide to then-Vice President Walter Mondale.