Politicians are practically Precambrian if they’re not wooing potential donors with whiz-bang fundraising experiences, which these days might involve ski trips, skeet shoots, Star Wars send-ups or chichi dinners with Hollywood stars.
But tonight, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., is going old-school — boozing with some lobbyists.
The scene for “Beer with Bob” is the rooftop 1001 G St. NW in Washington, D.C., a property that plays home to the Podesta Group, the nation’s No. 3 firm last year in terms of lobbying income.
“We’ll have plenty of beer from PA, featuring Jack’s Hard Cider and several other specialty brews, along with sandwiches from Taylor Gourmet and several other native PA treats,” reads an invitation obtained by the Center for Public Integrity.
Throughout his career, Casey has advocated for increased lobbying disclosure. During his 2006 campaign against former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., Casey had particularly harsh words for lobbyists, derided K Street as “a mess” and “place of corruption and influence peddling.”
Among tonight’s scheduled attendees are Donald C. Auerbach, chief government affairs officer for the Investment Company Institute, and Daniele Baierlein, Izzy Klein and Andy Lewin, all Podesta Group principals.
Also: Sean D’Arcy, a partner at law and lobbying firm Akin, Gump, Hauer, Strauss & Feld; Robert Getzoff, a Bank of New York Mellon lobbyist; Marshall Matz, principal attorney and lobbyist at Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Matz PC and Jason M. Rosenstock, director of government relations for ML Strategies.
Admission for “young associates” is $100, while general tickets require a $250 contribution. Political action committee representatives, meanwhile, need to fork over a grand to Casey’s re-election committee.
Amy Pfaehler, the Casey campaign’s national finance director, directed questions about the event to the senator’s personal office, a representative of which could not immediately be reached for comment.
To be sure, Casey isn’t completely immune from campaign coffer kitsch.
Next month, he’s scheduled to host a fundraiser at a Beyoncé concert in D.C.