Wells Fargo Receives TARP Funds, Pays Lobbyist to Defeat Cramdown Measure

The website firedoglake.com compiled a list of financial services companies that hired lobbyists to influence recent Congressional legislation. It’s interesting to note that Wells Fargo, which received $25 BILLION in TARP funds, paid $700,000 to the lobbyists. Per this disclosure document, they paid Daniel Archer, Anita Eoloff, and Julie Slocum specifically to influence HR1106 (the cramdown bill), as well as HR787, HR1728 and HR1. Daniel Archer is the Director, Federal Government Relations for Wells Fargo, and former Legislative Director for Senator Chuck Hagel. He’s a graduate of Creighton University. He’s donated to Senator John McCain. Julie Slocum formerly worked for Democrat congressman Jim Matheson. Her lobbyist ID is 700063939. I’m working on finding more information on this women. The disclosure report was completed by Anita B. Eoloff, Senior Federal Government Relations Director for Wells Fargo, who herself is listed as a lobbyist. Her phone number is 612-667-9917, and email address is anita.b.eoloff@wellsfargo.com. Anita joined Wells Fargo in 1993, managing Federal Government Relations for Norwest Corporation. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, she workedas a professional staff member of the House Banking Committee and also legislative aide to individual Members of Congress. She’s a graduate of St Olaf College, Minnesota.

Per this report from watchdog.net, Anita B. Eoloff’s filing ID is 700068145. Here’s a list of donations she has made in 2008, on behalf of Wells Fargo. In addition to $15,000 donations to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, she donated the following amounts to Senators who voted no on the cramdown amendment:

$5,000 to “Montanans for Tester”

$3,000 to Collins for Senator

$3,000 to the Bennett Election Committee

$2,500 to the Grassley Committee

$2,500 to Texans for Senator John Cornyn

$2,500 to Friends of John Barrasso

Here’s the complete list of Senators that voted against the cramdown amendment:

Alexander (R-TN)

Barrasso (R-WY)

Baucus (D-MT)

Bennet (D-CO)

Bennett (R-UT)

Bond (R-MO)

Brownback (R-KS)

Bunning (R-KY)

Burr (R-NC)

Byrd (D-WV)

Carper (D-DE)

Chambliss (R-GA)

Coburn (R-OK)

Cochran (R-MS)

Collins (R-ME)

Corker (R-TN)

Cornyn (R-TX)

Crapo (R-ID)

DeMint (R-SC)

Dorgan (D-ND)

Ensign (R-NV)

Enzi (R-WY)

Graham (R-SC)

Grassley (R-IA)

Gregg (R-NH)

Hatch (R-UT)

Hutchison (R-TX)

Inhofe (R-OK)

Isakson (R-GA)

Johanns (R-NE)

Johnson (D-SD)

Kyl (R-AZ)

Landrieu (D-LA)

Lincoln (D-AR)

Lugar (R-IN)

Martinez (R-FL)

McCain (R-AZ)

McConnell (R-KY)

Murkowski (R-AK)

Nelson (D-NE)

Pryor (D-AR)

Risch (R-ID)

Roberts (R-KS)

Shelby (R-AL)

Snowe (R-ME)

Specter (D-PA)

Tester (D-MT)

Thune (R-SD)

Vitter (R-LA)

Voinovich (R-OH)

Wicker (R-MS)