Projo Politics Blog

As has become tradition at the State House, this week’s legislative committee-action deadline was preceded by last week’s House Democratic leadership fundraiser.

The event drew an estimated 150 lawmakers, lobbyists and other interested observers to the Roger Williams Park Casino for a $100-per-person fundraising event for the leadership committee that pays for the lawmakers’ holiday parties and contributions to favored candidates.

With a few notable exceptions, the price tag is such that donor names need not be reported.

As of Dec. 31, 2007, the leadership account had $13,060 left after paying $7,988 in what are described as “campaign expenses” during the previous quarter.

That included payments totaling $6,788 to the Hotel Viking, in Newport, for the lawmakers’ “holiday party,” a $1,079 payment to Barrington Liquors, in East Providence, for refreshments, and $500 donations to J. Clement “Bud” Cicilline and Ed Ladouceur — unsuccessful Democratic candidates in last year’s special elections to fill the seat of the late Paul Crowley in Newport and former Rep. Peter Ginaitt in Warwick.

An event during the same week last year drew a string of contributions of between $200 and $500 from the political-action committees — or PACs — affiliated with many of the lawyer-lobbyists, corporate and union players at the State House, including the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers, National Education Association Rhode Island, the R.I. Laborers Political Action League, the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, Newport Grand, Bank of America, Cox Communications and the Providence Chamber PAC.

The way the state’s campaign finance law works, fundraising reports are not due until 30 days after the quarter ends, so donations made to the lawmakers between April 1 and June 30 do not come to light until a month or so after the legislative session ends each year.

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