Editorial: At party conventions, real business is off-camera

Updated 20h 3m ago

Just about everything wrong with money and politics is on garish display at the Republican and Democratic conventions this week and next: pay-for-access parties for big donors and corporations; not-very-subtle influence peddling; and equally un-subtle grubbing for campaign donations from special interests.

  • By Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY
    Party time: The Texas delegation at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.

    Party time: The Texas delegation at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.

    Much of this goes on all year, but not with the sheer intensity of the conventions. And most or all of it is perfectly legal. But that's more a tribute to the depressingly low standard for ethical behavior than a guarantee that what's going on is honorable. It's hard to see all the money being thrown around and not conclude that those doing the throwing expect a return on their investment.

  • The conventions cost about three times the $18.2 million that each party gets from the federal treasury.
  • The Republicans raised the balance for their gathering in Tampa this week from any legal donor, including corporations and individuals who can write big checks.

  • The Democrats sought the high ground by banning corporations and mega donors from underwriting next week's convention in Charlotte. But they left loopholes that allow companies to donate in-kind services, such as office space, and they reneged on promises to disclose contributors promptly. A separate organization can raise money for events outside the convention hall.

  • And it's outside the halls where much of the real business of the conventions takes place, away from the TV cameras. The Sunlight Foundation, which is tracking events at both conventions, has counted hundreds of receptions, parties, brunches, bar bashes, yacht cruises, golf outings and other events that are generally intended to put those who want something in happy proximity to those who can give it to them. So corporations, issue groups, trade associations, lobbyists and wealthy donors get together with politicians, delegates and party officials. Altogether, these events form unofficial twin conventions outside the formal ones inside the halls.

    In Tampa, a high-profile host committee is holding a private reception with former Florida governor Jeb Bush that costs up to $15,000 to attend.

  • In Charlotte, attendees can schmooze with members of the House Democratic Caucus every night from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. at a "Late Night Charlotte" event held at "an exclusive undisclosed private venue." Or they can attend a "Gumbo Ya-Ya" event with guests from the Senate Commerce Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "Sponsorships," says the party notice, "start at $5,000."

    Some groups hedge their bets by hosting the same event at both conventions. The National Rifle Association and the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (which lobbies against restrictions on hunting and fishing) are co-hosting the "Stars and Stripes Shoot-Out" at shotgun ranges in Tampa and Charlotte.

    With all the money sloshing around at the conventions, the potential for scandal is high. Back in 1972, for example, ITT Corp. pledged $400,000 to help underwrite the Republican convention in exchange for favorable treatment in a federal antitrust case. Typically, though, the quid pro quo is almost never that stark because it doesn't have to be. Everyone knows how the game works.

    When you hear all the rhetoric at both gatherings about how important middle-class voters are, remember that the really big hitters will be vying with them when the nitty-gritty of policy is made. They paid for their place in line, and it wasn't cheap.

    The money of party conventions