When the organizer failed to hear back from some financial institutions, she asked the Bank of America employee if he could help. “These folks were huge for Price last year and I haven’t received an answer from them on this lunch… HSBC, Wachovia, Morgan Stanley, Checkfree, American Financial Services Association, Mutual of Omaha,” she wrote. The Bank of America employee offered to call and follow up with them.
Thirteen of the 16 individuals who attended the event were lobbyists for the bill. The fundraising event, held at the Capitol Hill Club in D.C., had an admission price of a $1000 PAC donation or $500 personal donation.
During the markup of the Financial Reform Bill in the House Financial Services Committee, Representative Price introduced approximately eight amendments. Following the markup, he offered six amendments to the Rules Committee.
That wasn’t important, according to the House Ethics Committee.
“It is unremarkable that individuals associated with financial services organizations would be interested in attending or informing their colleagues about an event where the main speaker was the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee,” they wrote.
Rep. John Campbell (R-CA)
Fundraisers working for Rep. John Campbell, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, asked representatives from Bank of America, Chubb Corporation, MasterCard, and New York Life if they’d like to have one-on-one meetings with Campbell — and give campaign donations — while the House considered the financial reform bill.
In one example, Campbell’s fundraising consultant offered an employee of the National Asocial of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) a one-on-one meeting with Campbell, while also soliciting a donation.
“I wanted to see if there is any way National Assn of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) can help out Congressman John Campbell before the end of the quarter. We really appreciated your generous support last cycle. Congressman Campbell wanted me to see if you are available to do a 1-1 coffee or lunch with him. Is there any way you can do $1k or even $500 to help him out?” reads the email.
Campbell also held a ”Financial Services Dinner” in October 2009, one day before a markup of the Financial Reform Bill. The timing seemed off to one invitee, a KPMG employee, who responded to the “high” importance email invitation with this one-liner: “Is it wrong for me to reply and say that’s not such a good night given that we have this crucial piece of legislation being marked up the next day.”
Like Price and Crowley, Campbell also held multiple fundraising events in the days before the final vote. On December 9, two days before the final vote, he held two events — one with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor — with financial services lobbyists.
The report concluded that it was “unremarkable” for Campbell to hold an event attended solely by individuals associated with the financial services industry, “given that the financial services industry is the largest overall industry in his district.”
During the markup of the Financial Reform Bill, Campbell authored six amendments and following markup, he offered three amendments for consideration to the Rules Committee.
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