Heller gets donations during luncheon hosted by financial services industry

Publication: The Reno Gazette-Journal

Annjeanette Damon
September 26, 2008

U.S. Rep. Dean Heller, R-

Carson City, benefited from a $500-a-plate fundraising luncheon hosted by the financial services industry earlier this month, according to a non-profit organization focused on government transparency.

The Sept. 16 luncheon was one of 258 "parties" thrown by lobbyists for the financial services, insurance and real estate industries for members of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, which votes on regulations for the troubled investment industry, according to the Sunlight Foundation.

The fundraiser was held as the nation's largest investment houses were crumbling, government bailouts of individual firms were being considered and a comprehensive plan to stabilize the industry was being crafted by U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

Heller said he sees no conflict of interest in raising money from the industry, a practice common among his committee colleagues and the rest of Nevada's congressional delegation.

"First of all, I haven't made a decision on the (bailout) package yet, so you can't draw a straight line," he said. "I personally don't believe there's any connection whatsoever when it comes to these contributions and participating on votes down on the floor. My job is to represent what is in the best interest of Nevada. I take every issue and judge it by its merits."

The fundraiser was before Paulson announced plans for a $700 billion bailout being considered by Congress.

For this election cycle, Heller has raised $190,000 from financial service, real estate and insurance industry sources, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

But that's just a fraction of what the rest of Nevada's delegation has raised from those industries.

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., has raised $1.6 million; U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., $963,000; U.S. Rep. Jon Porter, R-Henderson, $318,000; and U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Laas Vegas, $287,000, according to the center.

A spokeswoman for Heller's Democratic opponent, Jill Derby, said the contributions are "shocking."

"These are the people he is catering to, the executives in the financial industry, not Nevada families," Derby spokeswoman Kristen Cullen said.

Heller responded by asking whether Derby sees herself beholden to her top contributors, which include labor unions, university professors and lawyers.