Alaska Politics Blog : Begich at DSCC fundraising event with "who's who" of lobbyists

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Sean Cockerham

Sean Cockerham writes about Alaska state politics. He's worked for the ADN in Anchorage and Juneau, covered the legislature for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, and covered Washington state politics for the Tacoma News Tribune. E-mail Sean at scockerham@adn.com

Kyle Hopkins

Kyle Hopkins covers rural affairs, general assignments and politics for the ADN. He covered the 2006 campaign for governor, has blogged extensively about Alaska politics, covered Anchorage city government and was a reporter based in the Mat-Su. He grew up in Southeast Alaska and previously wrote for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Anchorage Press. E-mail Kyle at khopkins@adn.com and also find him on our rural Alaska blog, The Village.

David Hulen

David Hulen, the ADN's state and local news editor, is responsible for political coverage. He has been an editor and reporter at the ADN for more than 20 years. E-mail David at dhulen@adn.com

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Alaska political corruption

When the FBI raided state legislature offices in Aug. 2006, it publicly launched an investigation that ultimately reached the highest levels of Alaska politics, and continues to this day.

Begich at DSCC fundraising event with "who's who" of lobbyists

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Anchorage Daily News

Posted: February 8, 2010 - 11:32 am

From Sean Cockerham in Anchorage –

Alaska Sen. Mark Begich was among a group of Democratic senators who spent the weekend of Jan. 29-31 in Miami Beach at a fundraising event that included dozens of corporate lobbyists.

A guest list for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee event was obtained by Politico, which said it involved a “who’s who of 108 senior Washington lobbyists,” including representatives of banking, tobacco, oil and drug interests.

Begich spokeswoman Julie Hasquet said the Alaska senator did not do any fundraising in Miami. “He was a guest at a fundraiser for the DSCC,” she said in an email.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raises money to help elect Democratic senators.

Begich was among a dozen Democratic senators at the DSCC Winter Retreat at the Ritz Carlton South Beach Resort. The event included receptions and “informal conversations with senators.”

Companies with representatives who signed up for the Democratic fundraiser include Altria (formerly Phillip Morris), the American Banker’s Association, Eli Lilly, the defense contractor Lockheed, Walt Disney, Anheuser Busch, Marathon Oil, Ford Motor Company, and many others. Top independent lobbying firms also sent representatives.