Joe Biden entered Democratic primary promising “from day one” to reject campaign cash from lobbyists. “I work for you — t any industry,” he tweeted. Yet hours after his April campaign kickoff, former vice president went to a fundraiser at home of a lobbying executive. And in months since, he’s done it again and again. It’s difficult to quantify how much Biden has raised from multibillion-dollar influence industry, but roughly $200,000 he accepted from employees of major lobbying firms is far more than any of his rivals have received, according to a review of campaign finance data by Associated Press. Though it’s a small fraction of $21.5 million he reported raising in second quarter of 2019, money demonstrates comfort with an industry that is object of scorn of Democratic activists and some of Biden’s principal rivals.

Biden’s pledge applies only to federally registered lobbyists, and most of money tracked by Associated Press was from ors in influence industry. But thousands of dollars did come from federally registered lobbyists, and Biden’s campaign said it is returning such donations. His campaign accepted roughly $6,000 in contributions from at least six federally registered lobbyists, including representatives of Google, aero and defense giant Lockheed Martin, and pharmaceutical companies, records show. An ditional $5,750 was donated by two lobbyists who h been registered shortly before making contributions to Biden’s campaign, records show.

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'Got money from financial embezzlers'

In at least two instances, donations came from lobbyists with criminal records who have served time in federal prison. Former Florida Rep. Lawrence J. Smith, a federally registered lobbyist representing city of Pembroke Pines, gave Biden $1,000 after attending a fundraiser in May. Smith left Congress in 1993 after it was revealed he bounced 161 b checks. He was convicted months later of tax evasion and using campaign cash to settle a gambling debt. Maryland statehouse lobbyist Gerard E. Evans gave Biden $2,600, records show. He was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison in 2000 after being found guilty of participating in an elaborate fake legislation scheme that bilked clients out of more than $400,000 in lobbying fees, according to court records.

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What all is excluded from Biden's pledge?

Excluded from Biden’s pledge are lobbyists who work at state level and those who lobby, or supervise lobbyists, but do t meet legal threshold requiring m to register. Spokesman Matt Hill said in a statement that Biden will “fight influence of corporations and special interests in our political system, which is why his campaign refuses donations from corporations, ir PACs, and federal lobbyists.”

Biden’s approach contrasts sharply with Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who have built ir campaigns around a vow to reject big money in politics. Both have sworn off big-dollar fundraisers, while Biden has embraced m. Such an embrace “doesn’t mean your positions are up for sale,” said John Wonderlich, executive director of Sunlight Foundation, a npartisan group that vocates for government transparency. But it “can certainly change what issues seem most salient and whose voice gets heard.”

Biden is t alone in accepting contributions from influence industry. President Donald Trump vowed to “drain swamp” but has since reaped contributions from powerful industries with business before his ministration. And many of Biden’s Democratic rivals have me similar pledges that also include subtle caveats and omissions. Still, he collected about $30,000 more from employees of top lobbying firms than California Sen. Kamala Harris and roughly $100,000 more than South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, both of whom me similar pledges but have been in race longer than him. Every or White House hopeful received far less.

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Prominent influence figures involved

Several recent fundraisers held for Biden highlight his ties to prominent figures in influence business, many of whom have been active in Washington for deces. In August, Biden was feted at home of Nelson W. Cunningham, president, and co-founder of McLarty Associates and a former viser to Bill Clinton. global public affairs firm represents Chevron, General Electric, Walmart and Uber, but tes on its website that list only includes “ ones we can mention.”

Several days before, Biden attended a fundraiser at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, home of Peter Shields, leer of Washington-based Wiley Rein, a firm with recent lobbying clients that include AT&T, global mining company Glencore, Nucor steel, Verizon and former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. His campaign kickoff fundraiser was at Philelphia home of David L. Cohen, a Comcast executive who oversees telecom giant’s lobbying operation. Biden’s campaign says fundraiser hosts are t registered lobbyists and often have diverse work portfolios that include much more than government relations. But y are also players in influence game. Biden’s pledge to reject money from lobbyists is a change for him. Before he entered 2020 race, his American Possibilities political action committee h such prohibition.

PAC, which Biden used to finance his political activities after leaving White House in 2017, accepted at least $113,000 from at least a dozen current and formerly registered lobbyists, in dition to more than 30 ors who work in influence industry, records show. Among m are representatives for Boeing, Apple, NFL, Facebook, General Motors and National Association of Mortg Brokers, as well as or representatives of big pharmaceutical, tech, telecom, and financial services companies, records show.

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Recipients of money often t disclosed 

One of top recipients of money from PAC was a company Biden created. His campaign says $137,000 routed to Biden’s company, Celtic Capri, was used to pay or reimburse aides for work, such as during last year’s midterm elections when Biden kept up an aggressive campaign schedule. Yet move is commonly used to avoid disclosing how political money is spent. Because money was routed to Celtic Capri, campaign finance records don’t detail end recipient of payments, which are listed as reimbursements or “staff support.” Around same time, Biden collected $425,000 in salary from Celtic Capri, according to financial disclosure. av ti, a former Federal Election Commission attorney, said use of limited liability companies such as se is a growing problem. “ ultimate recipients of money aren’t disclosed. Sometimes it’s for legitimate, or quasi-legitimate, reasons. And sometimes it’s for illegitimate reasons.”

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