Sen. John McCain was once a reformer, but now that he's running for president, he's turned to the well-heeled Washington lobbyists he once fought against to run and raise money for his White House bid. In fact, he’s relying on 118 lobbyists as staff or fundraisers, including at least ten who represent brutal dictators, human rights abusers, and other unsavory foreign interests.

You can tell John McCain it's time for these lobbyists to go by signing our petition at FireTheLobbyists.com!

Campaign Money Watch's FEC Complaint Against McCain

On June 9, 2008, Campaign Money Watch filed an FEC complaint against the McCain campaign, asking the FEC to investigate two possible campaign finance law violations. First, whether one of McCain's lobbyist allies illegally compensated a co-worker who serves as McCain's national finance director. Second, whether a Web company partly owned by McCain's campaign manager, lobbyist Rick Davis, made an illegal donation to the campaign by altering a bill for services the company provided.
Read the complaint | Download the PDF

Our complaint received plenty of attention from the press and even got a mention on MSNBC's Countdown With Keith Olbermann:

Campaign Money Watch has issued several reports and factsheets about McCain's ties to lobbyists and his retreat from comprehensive campaign finance reform. You can view all of them below:

McCain's Energy Plan: Written By Corporate Lobbyists, Bankrolled By Industry Contributions

John McCain's energy plan calls for offshore oil drilling along America’s coastline and expanded use of nuclear power. Although some have criticized McCain as flip-flopping on energy issues, the positions McCain has staked out should not surprise anyone: They are similar to those advocated by the fifty-nine energy lobbyists on his campaign and fundraising staff, as well as those industry insiders who have donated millions of dollars to McCain’s political career. Updated October 13, 2008.
Read the report | Download the PDF | Press release

Oil Money: John McCain's Close Ties to The Petroleum Industry

With oil prices skyrocketing and the economy on the brink of a recession, Americans are looking for candidates up and down the ballot to introduce meaningful plans to provide relief at the pump and put the economy back on track. Yet John McCain continues to side with the oil companies that have given him more than $1 million in donations and line the pockets of the lobbyists who staff and raise money for his campaign. Updated October 13, 2008.
Read the report

John McCain and Telecom Immunity: The Donors and Lobbyists Behind the Confusion

Over the past few years, Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) position on telecom immunity has been in flux. On various occasions he has stated that such immunity should only be granted if the telecommunications companies involved testified openly about their involvement and apologized, and if the language of the bill made clear that future warrantless wiretapping was unacceptable. But in recent months his position has become more ambiguous. Not only did he vote in favor of telecom immunity legislation that did not contain any of the above provisions, he has also backtracked on some of them altogether. One reason for his change of heart may be his campaign’s close ties to the telecom industry. Updated October 13, 2008.
Read the report | Download the PDF

Oil Lobbyists On The McCain Campaign

It is no secret that Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) presidential campaign has close ties to the oil industry. Four members of the campaign, including top political advisor Charlie Black and Congressional liaison John Green, have earned millions lobbying for oil and gas companies. As Americans struggle with high prices at the pump and our nation’s dependence on foreign oil becomes a national security issue, these lobbyists have helped oil companies reap record profits at the expense of consumers and the environment. Released July 22, 2008.
Read the report | Download the PDF

John McCain, The EADS Tanker Deal, and The Lobbyists Who Made It Happen

In February 2008, the Air Force bypassed Seattle-based Boeing and awarded a multi-billion dollar contract to the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) to provide the next generation of in-flight refueling tankers. The decision came after Sen. John McCain twice intervened in the procurement process, and after EADS lobbyists, at least seven of whom are staffers or fundraisers for McCain’s presidential campaign, launched a massive lobbying effort on their client’s behalf. Updated July 11, 2008.
Read the report | Download the PDF

Following the Money Trail: Fortune 200 Companies, John McCain, and McCain's Lobbyists

The top 200 corporations in America are well represented among Sen. John McCain’s campaign contributors and the lobbyists working to get him elected. Released June 26, 2008.
Download the PDF | Press release

McCain’s Multiple Views on Public Financing of Elections

This Public Campaign Action Fund report details John McCain's shifting views on public financing of federal elections. After opposing comprehensive reform early in his political career, he gradually became a support of his own state's Clean Elections law. But once he began gearing up for his second presidential campaign, he started to backtrack. Released April 8, 2008.
Download the PDF: Part 1, Part 2

Our efforts to deliver our message to John McCain have taken the form of everything from letters to lobby-pops, with a cartoon thrown in for good measure.

TV Ad: Keating — John McCain and Charles Keating

This ad offers a quick recap of John McCain's role in the Keating Five scandal and the trips and money he received from disgraced savings and loan mogul Charles Keating. It connects that past scandal to payments received by McCain's campaign manager from mortgage giant Freddie Mac.

TV Ad: The McCain File — John McCain and Airbus

Campaign Money Watch aired the following commercial to highlight McCain's intervention that helped steer a defense contract away from Boeing and toward a French firm, Airbus. Seven Airbus lobbyists went on to work as staff members or fundraisers for McCain's presidential campaign.

A Trip Down Lobby-Pop Lane

In June, Campaign Money Watch attempted to deliver 118 lobby-pops — one for each lobbyist working on or raising money for McCain's campaign — to the candidate's Arlington, Va., headquarters. This video documents our journey:

Web ad: "Lobbyists, Lobbyists"

The inspiration for the lobby-pops in the above video came from this Web ad, where we put a new spin on an old classic to drive home a catchy message about John McCain's ties to some lobbyists with some unsavory clients:

What Happened To The Letter?

In April, Public Campaign Action Fund attempted to deliver a letter to John McCain — signed by more than 9,000 people — asking him to support Clean Elections. The location: Washington's historic Willard Hotel, where McCain was the guest of honor at a fundraising event full of powerful lobbyists. Here's the video: