The District Attorney’s office is now getting involved in an investigation of a fracas at a fundraiser for California House candidate Francine Busby, reports the San Diego Tribune:

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said yesterday that her office will review the Sheriff’s Department investigation to determine if charges are warranted against Shari Barman, 60, and Pam Morgan, 62.

“We will look at all the facts and circumstances and conduct further interviews of witnesses as needed,” Dumanis said in a statement.

Busby, meanwhile, wants to know who made what she describes as a “politically motivated” noise complaint that led to the arrests and a sheriff’s deputy using pepper spray on guests at the fundraiser.

About 50 people attended the event at a home in a swanky section of town, according to the paper. Attendees said a heckler hiding behind some bushes shouted obscenities while Busby trited to talk. The sherrif’s office later arrived after the noise complaint. From there the accounts are heated, with the hosts of the fundraiser saying that the sheriff asked unwarranted questions and then sprayed pepper spray. The sherrif reported he felt “threatened”:

The event ended in chaos. Barman was arrested on suspicion of obstructing a peace officer and battery on a peace officer. Morgan was arrested and cited on similar charges at the Encinitas sheriff’s station. A sergeant, six deputies including a canine unit, a helicopter and a firetruck responded to Abbott’s call for backup.

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After a frantic four days in Washington, during which there were a phenomenal 240 fundraisers that we know of, members of Congress may be a little partied out. Washington’s watering holes, special interest townhouses and swanky restaurants that host fundraisers will be as quiet as members leave Washington for their districts and states. From this Friday, June 26, until Wednesday, July 8, there are a grand total of seven fundraisers scheduled to take place.

Reps. James Clyburn (D-SC) and Jim Matheson (D-UT) will be kicking off the weekend tomorrow morning with breakfast fundraisers where PACs can contribute $5,000 to host and individuals are being asked to chip in $1,000 to $1,500 to attend.

Reps. Edolphus Towns (D-NY) and John Boozman (D-AR) will be ducking out of DC a bit early for a couple of weekend long events. For $5,000 a donor can get tickets to a Yankees game against the Mets in New York with Towns and his Effective Leadership PAC. If that’s a bit too expensive donors can pick up a weekend pass to go trout fishing with Boozman for only $2,000 (PACs) or $1,000 (individuals).

While many of our elected officials will likely be trying to jet out of town the moment they get out of session next week, Rep. Donna Christensen (D-VI) will be hosting a fundraising reception at Patton Boggs House on Tuesday.

Rep. Steve Kagen (D-WI) may be starting his Fourth of July recess as early as this Friday. He plans to host an end of the quarter reception on the 29th and a follow up “Fish Boil with Labor & Friends” on the 30th–both in Wisconsin.

Senator John Ensign (R-NV) has canceled his First Annual Battle Born Invitational golf fundraiser, scheduled to begin on June 26th, following the aftermath of his revelation earlier this week.

Calls to Bandon Dunes Golf Course in Oregon and Pearson & Associates (the RSVP listed on the invitation, here) have confirmed that the Senator has shucked his golfing plans next weekend. This cancellation comes on the heels of Politico reporting that Senator Ensign is shedding interns…

With half a dozen golfing fundraisers this weekend from Virginia to Montana, lawmakers must be hoping for good weather.

Reps. Ed Royce (R-CA), Glenn Nye (D-VA), and Tom Rooney (R-FL) will be hosting events involving golf in the Commonwealth of Virginia and they are asking for contributions ranging from $1,000 per individual to $5,000 per team of four. Nye’s event features “special guest” NFL hall of famer Bruce Smith. Senator Baucus (D-MT) is hosting his 10th Annual Fly Fishing & Golf event in his home state this weekend. He’s asking for contributions of $5,000.

Rep. John Larson (D-CT) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) will be splitting their time this weekend at the MGM Grand’s spa in Foxwoods and the Lake of Isles Golf Course to benefit Larson’s Synergy PAC. Donors can join them in North Stonington, Connecticut for contributions of $5,000.

Finally, Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) is offering PACs and individuals the opportunity to attend the US Open with him at Bethpage Black for $5,000 each.

Six golfing events in one weekend may seem like a lot—but if summers past are any indication of things to come, our legislators are just getting started.

Congressional Democrats are finding a way around President Barack Obama’s ban on lobbyist contributions, reports Jonathan Martin in Politico today.

Obama is speaking at a dinner tonight at the Mandarin Hotel for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). In the past this dinner has brought in big lobbyist bucks. But because Obama will be there, the committees won’t be taking lobbyist contributions for the event.

However, lobbyist money will be welcome the next morning at a $5,000-per-head “issues” conference featuring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and a variety of committee chairmen. (We don’t have copies of these invitations in our database. If you have them, please send them to us here.)

Reports Politico:

Obama refuses to appear at fundraising events where lobbyists are allowed to contribute money, so the Democrats can’t collect lobbyists’ cash at Thursday night’s dinner. But since the president won’t be at the morning-after event, congressional Democrats will be free to collect the lobbying dollars then that they couldn’t take the night before.

This seems the very definition of violating the spirit of the lobbyist contribution ban–and the piece quotes some anonymous Democratic sources saying it’s Obama’s fault for not reining the Dems in.

Yet at the same time, more anonymous Democratic insiders are quoted griping because the White House won’t help raise lobbyist cash. One says Obama should be leaning on surrogate organizations to send out fundraising alerts. Another points out that the lobbyist money ban puts the committees in a bind:

“It’s kind of like going to Los Angeles and then excluding the entertainment industry,” said a senior Democrat. “Well, then you’re going to have a lame event.”

Seems like Obama’s getting the worst of both worlds right now. He’s getting the blame both because his lobbyist money ban is too weak–and because he won’t pull out the stops to get lobbyist money.

A self-proclaimed lobbyist for an alternative health organization–who left a prominent conservative group more than a decade ago under a cloud of financial mismanagement–is hosting a fundraiser next week for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Grassley, who recently earned fame for his tweets on health care, has a reputation as a strong crusader for drug safety. But he has also has championed policies favoring the alternative health industry, which some consumer critics charge is not adequately regulated by the federal government.

Sam Brunelli, who works for the Whitaker Health Freedom Foundation, the political arm of the Freedom of Health Foundation, and his wife, Robin Read, are feting Grassley at a breakfast on June 24 at the Capitol Hill Club. The Foundation, headed by Dr. Julian Whitaker of dietary supplement fame, states it opposes the government and the pharmaceutical industry whenever they “suppress the truth about alternative medical therapies and/or nutritional supplementation.” Read is president and CEO of the Foundation for Women Legislators, which includes Dr. Whitaker on its board. The Freedom of Health Foundation did not return a call inquiring about the event.

Brunelli is introduced as a lobbyist on the organization’s Web site, here; however there are no official records of his work at least as a federal lobbyist here, according to lobbyist disclosure reports. The most recent available tax forms filed by the Whitaker Health Freedom Foundation, the political arm, claim a budget of just $34,000 and make no mention of payments to staff. (See the organization’s 1998 990 form here.)

Brunelli formerly served as executive director of the conservative group the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which works to advance conservative state legislators. He left the group in 1995 over charges of mismanagement and personal enrichment, according to a 1995 National Journal report.

Grassley goes to bat for alternative health care therapies

Grassley has earned a reputation as an active watchdog of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pushing to strengthen the agency’s regulation of pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices and arguing for tough conflict-of-interest laws for researchers. Indeed he won an award this year from the National Research Center for Women & Families because “his willingness to challenge the FDA has saved the lives of adults and children by helping remove unsafe medical products from the market.”

However, Grassley also has long been a supporter of alternative health care therapies and has enjoyed support from the “health freedom” movement, which opposes strong regulation of supplements.

In 1994, Grassley co-sponsored a law championed by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act. This law established the U.S. Food and Drug Administation’s (FDA) authority to regulate dietary supplements–but as a food rather than a drug. This means supplements can be marketed without any requirements that they first be proven safe or effective, as pharmaceuticals must be.

After much national attention about the dietary supplement ephedra, which was linked to injuries and deaths, Congress in 2006 passed a law to require that dietary supplement manufacturers report adverse effects–which passed the Senate by unanimous consent. (Public Law No: 109-462). However, the FDA still lacks the resources and authority to protect consumers from unsafe dietary supplements, according to a May 2009 GAO report.

Grassley has also earned plaudits from the alternative health community for co-sponsoring legislation to permit doctors to use any treatment a patient wants–including unapproved therapies or medications. (S 2618, 2006). And he’s gotten cheers from the American Chiropractic Association for serving as “one of chiropractic’s strongest allies.”

In 1998, the senator co-sponsored legislation to expand an alternative health care program at the National Institutes of Health; the new office became known as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.  (S. 2420, funded as part of omnibus spending bill, H.R.4328) Since 1999, the office has spent $2.5 billion on studies exploring such topics as the effectiveness of ginkgo biloba for improving memory and shark cartilage for treating cancer. (Neither proved any better than placebos).

Grassley has managed to secure some money from the center for projects in his home state of Iowa. In 2007, he announced that the NIH office was giving $191,672 to Drake University for a project called “Reproductive and Behavioral Effects of Genistein,” which is exploring whether soy products eaten by pregnant women have a harmful effect on male fetal development. Another grant, for $110, 592, went to the Palmer College of Chriopractic in Davenport, for a project called “Expanding [Evidence Based Medicine] and Research Across the Palmer College of Chiropractic.” In 2002, the senator helped steer $110,250 to the University of Iowa to study the “neurobiology of joint manipulation induced analgesia,” as reported by the Associated Press. (Translation: that means pain relief from manipulating the body rather than using drugs.)

Unlike Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT), who are also champions of the alternative health industry, Grassley has not collected large amounts in campaign contributions from the nutritional and dietary supplement industries in the past, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

[Intern Josh Heath contributed research to this post.]

Congress is working pretty hard this week (see a few of the scheduled hearings here, here and here).  However, the busy work schedule isn’t stopping–or maybe it’s even inspiring–legislators to party hard in their free time.  For today’s date alone, June 16, we have 33 fundraising events in the Party Time database.

Perhaps the greatest similarity between all of these events is that, with only a handful of exceptions, the choice of venue and mode of entertainment sound, well, boring.  I enjoy shrimp cocktails and Maryland crabcakes as much as anyone else, but how many private lunch buffets in the Blue Room can one legislator stand? Some of our elected officials’ favorite venues are beyond tired.

There are a few legislators who are showing some creativity. Rep. Tom Latham (R, IA-4) is hosting a fundraiser at the Starfish Café. He’s asking for $2,500 from PACs and $1,500 from individual donors (and that gorgonzola pear salad looks like it might be worth every penny). Rep. Parker Griffith (D, AL-5) is hosting a dinner at Bobby Van’s Grill—his first event at this location according to our records. While his adventurism is surely to be applauded, it may be poorly rewarded according to one Washington Post reader review.

To round out this 33-fundraising-event day, Rep. Darrell Issa (R, CA-49) is hosting his 8th annual Issa Cream Event. He’s asking PACs for $1,000 and individuals for $500.  The invitation lists 13 additional House Reps. as “special guests”–which just goes to show that everyone loves ice cream. Or issa cream. Or whatever.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is canceling a fundraiser this Wednesday after a flap when it became public that the lobbyist host, Heather Podesta, had advertised the work of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as the “first course” at the event. (Heather and her husband, Tony, are prolific fundraisers.)

Podesta reportedly wrote in an e-mail note attached to the formal invitation that donors who gave between $1,000 and $2,500 could order up “the Select Committee on Intelligence for the first course.” (We have mention of the event in our database, but not the actual email reported in the press.)

Feinstein’s spokesperson explained the cancellation this way:

“It was obvious that this would be subject to misinterpretation by some, and it was canceled to avoid any misinterpretation,” said Gil Duran, a spokesman for the senator. “No contributions were received, so there is nothing to return.”

Funny what a little sunlight will do. Of course it’s extremely common for fundraising invitations to include mention of lawmakers’ committee assignments.

Check out this event today for Rep. Pete King (R-NY), pointing out that he’s ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee and also serves on the House Financial Services Committee.

And this one, also for an event today, for Sen. Dan Boren (D-OK) mentions that he’s a member of the Blue Dog Coalition–and the House Committee on Natural Resources & Select Intelligence.

The fact is, if every politician who flagged his or her committee assignments were to cancel their fundraisers–well, there wouldn’t be many fundraisers.

Over at Politico, Ken Vogel reports on the Red Sox fever that’s sweeping the congressional fundraising circuit next week, taking off from our own Josh Heath’s post here.

Vogel found some events that aren’t in our database, including parties for: Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), and Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA).

And he digs up some interesting stats on how much politicians are paying for all those ball game tickets:

As well as the unique fundraising event works for baseball-loving pols and access-craving lobbyists, who were barred by post-Abramoff reforms from treating lawmakers to games, it works even better for the woebegone Nationals, who have had trouble selling seats at the glistening new stadium that opened last year.

Since the Nationals moved to Washington in 2005, politicians and PACs have paid $259,000 for Nationals tickets, according to Federal Election Commission records.

That’s more than double the $107,000 paid to the next most politically popular team: the New York Yankees. The team that previously held the closest-to-Capitol Hill advantage, the Baltimore Orioles, received $95,000 from federal committees, while the Red Sox pulled in $69,000 at their Fenway Park home in Boston.

Since 2005, federal candidates and committees have spent $718,000 overall for tickets to Major League Baseball games or to rent ballpark facilities, primarily for fundraisers, according to FEC records.

Legislators are kicking off some fun weekend excursions starting today, and no doubt they’re hoping these festivities will have them rolling in cash by Monday. Whether you’re the sort of donor who enjoys  a relaxing wine tasting in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, or the type who is eager to see if Eric Clapton can top his best live solo to date, it’s a safe bet you will be able to find what you’re looking for.

Rep. Richard Neal (MA-2) is hosting a “Summer Weekend on Cape Cod” for his Madison PAC and asking for contributions of $5,000. The event is taking place at Chatham Bars Inn where guests can look forward to a weekend of golfing, tennis, fishing, and even antique car tours. Sounds like my ideal weekend, but I don’t think I could stretch my stipend that far even if I spent the rest of the summer eating Totino’s.

The wine tasting weekend “Pinot in Portland” is hosted by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR-3) and his invitation asks for a contribution of $5,000. It isn’t clear from the invite, but if the plans were up to me, the weekend would start at the Hotel Vintage Plaza in Portland, which offers a Pinot in Portland package– just a short 20 minute drive north of “the heart of wine country.”

Reps. Mazie Hirono (HI-2) and Joe Crowley (NY-7) are also hosting fundraisers with home state themes. Hirono is hosting her Third Annual Taste of Hawaii Reception in DC on the 15th. The Congresswoman is asking $5,000 for PAC hosts, $2,500 for PAC sponsors, $1,000 for PAC guests, $2,400 for individual hosts, $1,000 for individual sponsors, and $500 for individual guests. Crowley’s “I Love NY” weekend starts tonight (June 12, 2009) at 5pm in New York City and he’s asking for contributions of $5,000 from PACs and $2,000 from individuals.

Arguably the highlight of the weekend, Rep. Patrick Kennedy (RI-1) is hosting a fundraiser at Eric Clapton’s Verizon Center performance in Washington DC with Steve Winwood. The invitation requests contributions of $5,000 or $2,500 but it’s unclear as to what these contributions will net the donor. One thing is clear: any Clapton or Winwood fans that are willing to shell out the requested contributions will have one hell of a good time.