Where Money Meets Power In Washington

"Political fundraiser" has a fancy ring to it — tuxedos, famous singers, billionaires. In fact, most political fundraisers aren't that glamorous.

Think instead of a dozen lobbyists eating breakfast with a Congressman in a side room at some DC restaurant. Off in a corner, someone who works for the Congressman is holding the checks the lobbyists brought to get in the door.

On today's All Things Considered, Andrea Seabrook talks with Audie Cornish about the world of political fundraisers. It's the latest in our series on money in politics. See the whole series here.

A couple graphics we published last week as part of the series are particularly relevant to the conversation. So we're republishing them.

Here's a breakdown of all fundraisers, by type:

Not all fundraisers are dull. Here's a count of fancy events from 2008 through early 2012:

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.