Feingold Passes $500,000 in Bundled Lobbyist Contributions

Russ Feingold, the former Democratic senator from Wisconsin who is attempting to regain the seat he lost in 2010, has now collected more than a half million dollars worth of bundled lobbyist contributions despite previously positioning himself on the front lines of campaign finance reform.

Feingold, who spent 18 years in Congress before being defeated by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson six years ago, added $129,883.28 in bundled lobbyist contributions to Russ for Wisconsin, his campaign committee, from April 1 to June 30. Between July 1 and July 20, which is marked as “pre-primary” filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), his campaign committee saw an additional $20,846 pour in from lobbyists.

The latest contributions going into to Feingold’s campaign committee have come from registered lobbyists at just three far-left D.C.-based groups.

The J Street PAC, a liberal Middle East advocacy group that is critical of the Jewish state despite billing itself as a “pro-Israel, pro-peace” organization, collected $67,398.01 for the former senator’s comeback attempt since April, according to FEC filings.

The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, an environmental advocacy group, added $64,436.27 while lobbyists from the Council for a Livable World, which seeks to eliminate nuclear weapons in the United States, gave $18,895.

Prior to these donations, Feingold received $390,301 from special interest groups. He has now accepted $541,030.28 in bundled lobbyist contributions to date.

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