From established Capitol Hill haunts such as Charlie Palmer Steak,
Johnny's Half Shell and Bistro Bis to newer locales including
Chinatown's Hill Country Barbecue and Cava Mezze at Barracks Row, House
Members are injecting hefty sums into Washington, D.C.'s restaurant
industry as they wine and dine donors.
A Roll Call review of campaign disbursements filed with the Federal Election Commission shows that Johnny's Half Shell is lawmakers' venue of choice, pocketing $323,811 in Member campaign funds since the beginning of last year. Charlie Palmer's is a distant second, raking in $296,912, and Bobby Van's comes in third with $258,766.
Feeding donors in low-lit, wood-paneled settings is nothing new for Washington's power set. It's a necessary evil in an era in which a steady flow of campaign cash is essential to defend a seat against potential primary challenges and opponents from the other party.
It's also perfectly legal to use campaign cash to court donors over an upscale lunch, or to treat campaign staff to a nice meal to discuss strategy, said Clyde Wilcox, a professor of government at Georgetown University.
Read more: http://www.rollcall.com/news/Lawmakers-Rack-Up-Hefty-Bills-Wining-and-Dining-Donors-216917-1.html?pos=hftxt
A Roll Call review of campaign disbursements filed with the Federal Election Commission shows that Johnny's Half Shell is lawmakers' venue of choice, pocketing $323,811 in Member campaign funds since the beginning of last year. Charlie Palmer's is a distant second, raking in $296,912, and Bobby Van's comes in third with $258,766.
Feeding donors in low-lit, wood-paneled settings is nothing new for Washington's power set. It's a necessary evil in an era in which a steady flow of campaign cash is essential to defend a seat against potential primary challenges and opponents from the other party.
It's also perfectly legal to use campaign cash to court donors over an upscale lunch, or to treat campaign staff to a nice meal to discuss strategy, said Clyde Wilcox, a professor of government at Georgetown University.
Read more: http://www.rollcall.com/news/Lawmakers-Rack-Up-Hefty-Bills-Wining-and-Dining-Donors-216917-1.html?pos=hftxt
No comments:
Post a Comment