Defense lobbyists pay top dollar for Ike Skelton

Being the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee has its perks and one of them is sizable campaign contributions from defense lobbyists.

Skelton's quarterly disclosure form, filed earlier this month with the Federal Election Commission, shows he received at least $22,800 during the past three months from lobbyists, with most of that money coming from those representing defense interests.

Among those contributions were maximum $5,000 contributions from political action committees representing two of the biggest defense lobbying firms in Washington.

The biggest lobbying company in the United States, Patton Boggs, which represents Halliburton contributed $5,000, according to the FEC documents. Also giving the maximum amount was Arnold & Porter Partners, which includes among its clients the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems.

In addition to the $5,000 from the Patton Boggs PAC, Skelton picked up $500 contributions from a pair of the company's lobbyists.

Among the other lobbyists contributing to the Democrat, who is facing his first serious re-election campaign in years:

-$2,549.38 in cash and in-kind from Van Scoyoc Associates
-$1,000 from Judith Hafner of Denny Miller Associates. Miller was an assistant for the late Sen. Henry "Sccop" Jackson, D-Washington, an expert on defense matters. Miller has parlayed that experience into successful work as a defense industry lobbyist.
-$1,134.68 in-kind from Jere Glover, Brand Law Group
-$1,000 in the form of four $250 contributions from lobbyists for the Rhoads Group, another firm that specializes in defense clients.