TPM: Wall Street Invite: Come Meet Privately with Congressmen Negotiating Financial Reform

[flpoljunkie]

Wall Street Invite: Come Meet Privately With Congressmen Negotiating Financial Reform!
Brian Beutler

May 31, 2010, 12:04PM

A small Wall Street securities firm has teamed up with a lobbyist for the financial services industry to host an all-day event on June 15 -- right in the middle of the conference committee negotiations over the financial reform bill -- that will feature "the KEY House and Senate Conferees and majority and minority Committee staff, as well as leading financial lobbyists covering interchange, banks and major non-banks affected by so-called Wall Street Reform bill," according to an invitation obtained by TPM.

The firm, JNK Securities Corp., declined to comment about the event.

The other firm helping to organize the event, according to the email invitation, is Federal Advisory LLC. The registered agent for Federal Advisory LLC is Tim Rupli, according to Virginia corporation records. Rupli is a former aide to Tom DeLay and now a high-powered Republican lobbyist for the payday lending industry and the community banks trade association, among other clients.

Reached last week, Rupli declined to be interviewed, but suggested that the event may not take place after all. He hung up before elaborating.

While the invitation says the event will be on Capitol Hill, it doesn't not specify the exact venue. Rupli's Capitol Hill townhouse on New Jersey Avenue within easy walking distance of the House office buildings next to the Capitol, has been the frequent venue for fund-raising receptions, ranking as the 10th most popular congressional partying spot of 2008.

Last week, we reached out to all 12 of the Senate's Wall Street reform conferees to ask if they planned to participate in the event. Most of the Senate offices said they had never heard of the event. Two -- Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) -- said they will not be attending.

But the event, which does not appear to be a fundraiser, may not be targeting Democrats as much as Republican opponents of financial reform. The plain language of the invitation--such as the line: "so-called Wall Street Reform bill"--is taken straight from the GOP rhetorical playbook.

Regardless of which elected officials are being targeted, though, if you wanted evidence that Wall Street hasn't given up the fight--and hasn't lost its powerful friends in Washington--look no further.

You can read the entire invitation below.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/wall-street-courts-top-financial-reform-negotiators-on-the-hill.php?ref=fpblg

[ProSense]

1. Well,

let's see who shows up.

Last week, we reached out to all 12 of the Senate's Wall Street reform conferees to ask if they planned to participate in the event. Most of the Senate offices said they had never heard of the event. Two -- Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) -- said they will not be attending.

But the event, which does not appear to be a fundraiser, may not be targeting Democrats as much as Republican opponents of financial reform. The plain language of the invitation--such as the line: "so-called Wall Street Reform bill"--is taken straight from the GOP rhetorical playbook.

One thing is clear, Wall Street wants to water this bill down.

[flpoljunkie]

2. On that point we can agree-Wall Street wants to water the bill down.

Although, many might argue it already has been watered down--particularly the derivates language from Blanche Lincoln. We will see.