Donations

According to a new report, former Senator Daschle is the top recipient of lobbyist donations since 1998:

Lobbyists have given more than $103 million to members of Congress since 1998, according to a new report released yesterday by Public Citizen.
   The $103.1 million total is "nearly double" the previous estimates, according to Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, a consumer group founded by Ralph Nader.
   Ms. Claybrook said the $103 million total was "more than enough money to publicly finance campaigns," a political position that her group advocates.
   The report shows that the top 10 lobbyists represented private interests in the financial, defense and education sectors.
   The group's report, "Bankrollers: Lobbyists' Payments to the Lawmakers They Court, 1998-2006," ranks the top-contributing lobbyists and those lawmakers receiving the most campaign cash.
   Former Sen. Tom Daschle, South Dakota Democrat, received the most individual and political action committee (PAC) contributions in the Senate, totaling $1,687,721 since 1998.