On Tuesday we noted that Charlie Black, one of McCain's top aides, had lobbied extensively for a lengthy list of dictators, and special interests. Attention focused on Black after two other McCain aides resigned from the campaign due to their work for the DCI group, a lobbying organization that represented Burma's military junta.
Today, the Mother Jones flags DCI employees' donations to McCain, and asks whether McCain will return the money, given that his two former aids from DCI group have resigned:
There are other facts in the situation that may prove controversial. The two lobbyists for Burma were also donors to McCain. Doug Goodyear, DCI Group's chief executive and the man McCain had selected to run the GOP national convention, and his wife Carla donated $4,600 to McCain's presidential campaign and $2,500 to McCain's Straight Talk America PAC. Carla Goodyear also donated $1,000 to McCain's 2004 Senate reelection bid. Doug Davenport, the head of DCI Group's lobbying arm and a former regional campaign manager for McCain, and his wife Kelley contributed $6,900 to McCain's presidential campaign and $3,500 to his PAC.
Other DCI Group employees have donated $2,000 to McCain. All told, DCI Group employees and their spouses have sent $20,500 to McCain. McCain fired the two DCI Group executives from his campaign, but will he return their contributions? We called McCain's press office to ask and have not yet received a response. Can it be that McCain is willing to separate himself from lobbyists working for Burma but will cling to their cash?
