IP: Best law money can buy -- Lobbyists Swarm GOP Govs' Meeting

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

November 19, 1999
Lobbyists Swarm GOP Govs' Meeting

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Filed at 5:10 a.m. EST 
By The Associated Press
CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) -- When 25 Republican governors met for their annual conference, some 500 representatives of 
special-interest groups followed, shelling out thousands of dollars for the chance to chat with the states' top elected 
officials. 
At a time when the federal government is shifting more responsibility to the states, gatherings like the Republican 
Governors Association meeting this week take on added significance, some of the lobbyists said. 
``The governors are the most influential public officials in the country when it comes to actually running 
government,'' said John Matthews, a consultant with the law firm of Foley & Lardner who traveled from Wisconsin. 
``Wherever they go, they're going to draw a crowd.'' 
Many of the lobbyists represented the 78 sponsors of the event, each of whom chipped in between $1,000 and $30,000 to 
help pay for the conference. Others were members of the elite RGA supporters that had previously given the Republican 
governors between $5,000 and $100,000; one of their perks was a chance to send representatives to mix with the 
governors and their staffs at such gatherings. 

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/p/AP-Governors-Lobbyists.html