Don Beason knew the way to legislators votes' was through their stomachs.
A review of newspaper archives shows a long history of buying lunches, dinners and huge barbecue spreads for lawmakers by the once-top lobbyist until a change in laws in 2006.
Unlike other lobbyists, Beason rarely ate with his colleagues. He was more likely to be seen with a legislative staffer or a lawmaker.
He often ate lunch in the Legislative Building cafeteria with reporters, trading insider gossip. (AC-T, Aug. 17, 2007) He was a regular at the weekly lunch meeting of the press corps, often offering to pick up the tab. (W-SJ, Aug. 12, 2007)
He frequently footed the bill when large groups of lawmakers met.
When House Republicans caucused for the first time after their historic 1994 win, Beason bought lunch. (Char-O, Aug. 20, 1996.) On the first day of session, he set up a lunchtime barbecue spread on the lawn behind the Legislative Building for all lawmakers. (N&O, May 14, 1996)
More after the jump.
—————
During crossover week in 1999, he spent more than $500 buying sandwiches, chips and drinks for 50 senators. When the lunch didn't show up on time, Senate leader Marc Basnight quipped, "If lobbyist Beason can't get them, call lobbyist Alley." (WS-N, April 30, 1999)
When the food arrived, Basnight said there was enough for staff members and pages as well — "for everybody except the lobbyists, " he joked. "They're buying them." (N&O, April 30, 1999)
When the Senate Democratic caucus met to choose their leaders in 1999, it had a Sunday night dinner at the Grandover, a newly opened four-star resort. Beason picked up the tab and the cost of conference space the next morning. (N&O, Dec. 10, 2002)
Beason did not report the cost, arguing the dinner was covered by the "goodwill" lobbying loophole — which has since been closed — and comparing it to dinners he bought from time to time for legislators to socialize, which he also did not report.
"If I had appeared at that dinner and said, 'I want you to vote for or against an issue,' that would have been a reportable expense,'" he said. (N&O, Sept. 20, 2003)
After Jim Black was sworn in as House Speaker in 2005, he celebrated at a private room at Raleigh's fancy Second Empire restaurant. When it came time to pay, he directed an aide to send a credit card number belonging to Beason. (N&O, July 11, 2007)
When lobbying reforms were being considered in 2005 to tighten up regulations about buying lawmakers dinner, Beason argued against them, saying that it helped get their attention.
"Advocacy is a key element of a democracy, and advocacy takes many forms," he said. "And everyone has to use the resources that they have to advocate for their position." (N&O, March 7, 2005)
He also argued, interestingly, that buying lunch for lawmakers was ineffective.
"In my 30 years here, I have never seen buying dinner for anybody affect what the legislator does," he said. (W-SJ, March 17, 2005)
After the ethics bill was passed, Beason announced he would voluntarily report his spending before it went into effect. (N&O, Dec. 16, 2005) But he also said the law was "poorly written" and "dangerous" because it was too vague.
"It appears to make lobbying a felony," he said. (W-SJ, Jan. 12, 2006)
Blog RSS feed
