consultants
 
As the cost of running for public office continues to rise, the Center for Public Integrity decided to focus on the professionals hired by campaigns to run the show. Examining spending for the 2003-2004 federal races, the Center found that about half of all expenditures went to political consultants, principally to those who create and place television advertising.
The Rise of 'Revolving-Door' Consultants
Center identifies firms both advising politicians and lobbying them
WASHINGTON, December 21, 2006 — An investigation by the Center for Public Integrity found that increasingly campaign consultants are turning to lobbying once elections are over. And unlike federal legislators and their staff members, who are required to wait a year before lobbying former colleagues, consultants are not bound by rules slowing down the so-called "revolving door" between doing campaign work and lobbying >>
A Wealth of Advice
Nearly $2 billion flowed through consultants in 2003-2004 federal elections
WASHINGTON, September 26, 2006 — In the 2004 federal races, more than $1.85 billion flowed through a professional corps of consultants whose influence plays an important, though largely unexamined role, in the unrelenting escalation of campaign spending, a groundbreaking Center for Public Integrity study has found. The money going to these consultants amounted to about half of the total spending by presidential candidates, national party committees, general election candidates for Congress, and so-called "527"s — independent political groups. >>
Airtime Is Money
Basing pay on ad spending could create a consulting conflict of interest
WASHINGTON, September 26, 2006 — When people discuss the sometimes prohibitive costs of political campaigns, rarely is the role that consultants play in driving up costs addressed. Consulting firms hired by presidential candidates who make it all the way to the November election earn millions of dollars. If their candidate wins, the consultants' careers are made.  >>
The More Media, the Better ...
Consultants urge ever-expanding amounts of ad time
WASHINGTON, September 26, 2006 — The proof that media consultants abuse their clients, according to Doug Bailey, founder of The Hotline political news service and former Republican consultant, is the sheer volume of airtime they advise candidates to purchase now. The number of times each political ad airs has risen exponentially over the years — a phenomenon other consultants confirm — and in Bailey's mind, for no valid strategic reason. >>
Consultant Profiles
WASHINGTON, September 26, 2006 — Read profiles of selected consultants who have been prominent or cutting edge in their fields, including media, direct mail, and polling. >>