ADVERTISEMENT

Lobbyist Heather Podesta Hosting $2,700 Per Head Hillary Clinton Fundraiser

Hillary Clinton
AP
July 14, 2015

Famed Washington, D.C., lobbyist Heather Podesta will host a $2,700-per-head Hillary Clinton fundraising event at the end of July.

According to Politico PlaybookPodesta circulated an email to her friends inviting them to the evening "Conversation with Hillary" event, which will take place on July 30 at her home in the nation’s capital.

"I’ve got exciting news -- Hillary Clinton will be at my house in Washington ... for an event on Thursday, July 30, from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. More details are on the invite," Podesta wrote in the message.

Podesta has run her own government relations firm Heather Podesta +Partners—the largest female-owned lobbying firm in Washington—since 2007, her clients including everything from Fortune 500 companies to nonprofits. Podesta’s firm lists Home Depot, AIG, and Prudential Financial, among others, as clients on its website.

Her now-ex-husband Tony Podesta also runs the successful Washington lobbying firm the Podesta Group which boasts clients such as Walmart, General Electric, and Wells Fargo, according to OpenSecrets.org.

In fact, Tony’s brother John Podesta—a former registered lobbyist himself—is currently serving as the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

John Podesta started the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, for which he did lobbying work as a policy advocate. He also co-founded the Podesta Group with his brother, for which he did lobbying work for clients such as eBay, the American Insurance Association, and the Agency for Nuclear Projects.

Before working as a lobbyist, John served as White House chief of staff during Bill Clinton’s administration. 

At least five other major players in the Clinton campaign have held jobs as registered lobbyists at some point in their careers.