[S]olicitations for donations from lobbyists will continue during the legislative session to support Democratic House races through a new vehicle: the Vermont Democratic Party.
Under a new law it would have been illegal for lobbyists to contribute to the Democratic House Leadership PAC.
House Speaker Shap Smith says the PAC was dissolved, not because of the ban on lobbyist donations, but because of new court rulings and a Vermont attorney general determination in the Dean Corren case that limits coordination between parties and individual candidates.
The party sent a bulk email on Corren’s behalf during his 2014 bid for lieutenant governor. Judge William Sessions ruled last week that the in-kind contribution, worth $255, was not allowed under the state’s rules for publicly financed campaigns.
In the 2016 election, Smith says, the Vermont Democratic Party must have the ability to coordinate efforts with House candidates.
“I think that absent concerns around coordination, I don’t think we would have shut down the PAC, because there is a long history of concern about whether there would be a focus on House campaigns,” Smith said.
The Democratic House Leadership PAC was formed as a separate entity in the 1990s because Democratic candidates for the House were concerned that the state party wasn’t doing enough to support House races.
The PAC was well-funded, even under the new prohibition on lobbyist dollars, Smith said, because it still had the ability to raise money from individuals and House members. When the Democratic House Leadership PAC was dissolved, Treasurer Katherine Levasseur took a job with the Vermont Democratic Party.
“We were a going concern,” Smith said. “We had enough money to continue to operate. The coordination issue was really the issue.”
Under the new law, state parties can receive unlimited campaign contributions and can dole out money to candidates as needed.
Conor Casey, executive director of the Vermont Democratic Party, said it was beneficial to shift fundraising over to the party, because there could be more coordination with candidates on how money is spent.
“We don’t have to keep a wall up anymore,” Casey said.
That wall was clearly down Thursday night when lawmakers, party officials and lobbyists gathered for a fundraising soiree at the Capitol Plaza Hotel.
About 60 people turned out for the “Hoppyhour” pep talk and brews. Representatives from some of the major lobbying firms were there, including Necrason Group, KSE Partners and Primmer Piper Eggleston. And the state workers union, the Vermont State Employees Association, was in attendance. But there were some notable absences, too. MMR, Morris and Demag, and Ellis Mills, for example, didn’t make it.
The party included a few Democratic lawmakers — committee chairs, including Janet Ancel and Tony Klein, and a few members of the leadership team, such as Smith and Kate Webb, deputy majority leader.
The event Thursday had multiple ticket levels, ranging from $50 to $2,000. While Casey acknowledged the party was lightly attended, he said attendees donated at every level except for the $2,000 “landslide” sponsorship.
Casey defended the fundraising effort. A number of 2016 races, he said, likely will get support from national groups hoping to change the makeup of both the Legislature and the governorship.
“Even though it’s a citizens Legislature, races are getting more intense,” he said.
According to a February report with the secretary of state’s office, the Democratic House Leadership PAC had raised nearly $90,000 for the 2016 campaign, and Casey said the party would be able to raise money at the same clip in anticipation of the November matchups.
Representatives from lobbying firms who attended the soiree said they did so reluctantly. A number of lobbyists said they don’t like making donations and don’t enjoy the fundraising events but feel obliged to give when legislators ask for money. Several said the Legislature should commit to meaningful campaign finance reform, including steps toward publicly funded elections.
