Washington lobbyist, Sprint chairman host Blackburn fundraiser
Burb from Politico Influence, a daily Politico feature on lobbying in Washington:
The lobbyist David Carmen and Elizabeth Carmen will host a fundraiser for Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who’s running for Senate, at their home in the Palisades neighborhood of Washington on Tuesday evening, according to an invitation obtained by PI. The twist: One of the co-hosts is Marcelo Claure, the new executive chairman of Sprint and the chief operating officer of SoftBank, which owns most of Sprint.
— Sprint, of course, announced last week that it’s pursuing a merger with T-Mobile, and Blackburn is the chairwoman of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on communications and technology, which oversees the wireless industry. Reps. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) wrote to House Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and Blackburn last week to urge them to hold hearings on the proposed merger.
— Andrea Bozek, a spokeswoman for Blackburn’s campaign, confirmed that she planned to attend the fundraiser. “Congressman Blackburn takes her responsibilities on the House Energy and Commerce Committee very seriously,” Bozek wrote in email to PI. “Her only priority as a member of Congress is serving Tennessee families and doing what is in their best interest.” David Carmen declined to comment, as a did a spokesman for SoftBank and Sprint. If you’re interested in going to the fundraiser, it’ll set you back $1,000 to attend as an individual, $5,000 if you pay through your PAC and $10,000 to attend as a host, according to the invitation.
Update/note: The Tennessee Democratic party seized upon the Politico report for a quick bit of Blackburn-bashing in an email to media. Excerpt:
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