The top ten lobbyist bundlers of 2010 also hosted plenty of fundraisers when their names and organizations were cross-referenced with Party Time’s database of fundraising invitations.

According to a Washington Post analysis this weekend of fundraising records filed under new Federal Election Commission requirements, nearly 160 lobbyists have raised $9 million for political parties and federal candidates by bundling—a method of donating where lobbyists or other fundraisers funnel multiple contributions to campaigns or political parties without violating individual donation limits.The new requirements instruct filers to disclose reports of contributions of $16,000 or more that are bundled by lobbyists.

According to Party Time’s list of invites, the top bundlers of 2010 hosted more than 80 fundraisers going back to 2006. Here are the top ten bundlers as found by the Post and their fundraising history using our list of invitations:

1. Ben Barnes, Ben Barnes Group lobbying firm: $641,950
Party Time didn’t have an invite for Ben Barnes specifically, but lobbyist Scott Reed represents the Group and hosted a fundraiser in April for George Lemieux’s Protect America’s Future PAC. He also hosted fundraisers for Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., in 2008 and Mike DeWine in 2006.

2. Brian L. Wolff, Edison Electric Institute: $615,500
There was no exact match for Wolff, but we do have two fundraisers on file for the PowerPAC of the Edison Electric Institute this year. The most recent was a May 4th energy industry breakfast for Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., at the American Gas Association. In February, the PAC held a reception for Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, co-hosted by the Nuclear Energy Institute PAC. They also held a June 2009 energy industry reception fundraiser for Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark. Also, in 2009, two fundraisers were held by Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison, and in 2008, the Edison Electric Institute held a fundraiser on the first day of the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minnesota.

3. Tony Podesta, Podesta Group: $420,350
One of the city’s top lobbying firms and a Party Time regular, Tony Podesta has 22 invitations on which he is listed as a host for fundraisers in our database, the latest being an April 23 fundraising breakfast for Rep. Debbie Wasserman, D-Fla. In nearly all cases his wife, Heather Podesta, is also listed, but we did find two invites where she hosted without her husband.

4. Vincent Roberti, Navigators Global: $283,200
Roberti appears on one Party Time invite, a March 11 fundraising reception for Rep. Paul Hodes, D-N.H., however DC Navigators, LLC, appears as host to 18 different fundraisers going back to March 2008. The most recent was a fundraising reception for Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

5. Wilson Pipestem, Ietan Consulting: $202,000
Pipestem does not appear in the Party Time list of invitations, however Ietan Consulting partner Larry Rosenthal hosted a 2006 reception fundraiser, along with several other lobbyists, for Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.

6. Bill Paxon, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: $180,000
There were six fundraisers hosted by Bill Paxon in the Party Time database, the most recent being a March 17th fundraiser for Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C. at the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Paxon’s powerhouse lobbying firm also appears as host on 23 different fundraisers in our database since July 2008.

7. T. Martin Fiorentino, Jacksonville: $173,700
No Party Time invites on file.

8. Association for Advanced Life Underwriters: $162,300
No Party Time invites on file.

9. Aurene M. Martin, Holland & Knight: $156,200
Martin has hosted one fundraiser according to the Party Time list of invites, an October 2009 birthday dinner for Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. The Holland & Knight Committee for Effective Government also hosted an April 26th fundraising reception for Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif.

10. Steve A. Elmendorf, Elmendorf Strategies: $151,400
There are four invitations on file for Steve Elmendorf, the most recent was a March 24th breakfast for Frank Kratovil Jr., D-Md. Invitees could attend the breakfast if they paid $500 per person or they could host the event for $2,500.

Please note: Invitations in the Party Time database only represent a portion of the fundraising events that take place in Washington D.C. The database consists largely of events sent to us by anonymous sources, where we then strip off all possible identifying information. If you know of a fundraiser in D.C. or in your state, please consider uploading it to our anonymous upload system.

Lobbyists may advertise themselves as hosts on fundraising invitations–but that doesn’t mean they’re reported officially as “bundlers” of campaign contributions, reports a fascinating analysis by the AP today, relying on Party Time data.

AP found that the lobbyists on at least 195 congressional fundraising invitations were not disclosed as “bundlers.” The events took place between March 19 and June, the first time period covered by new Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules that required new reports by candidates of fundraisers who collect contributions on their behalf.

The article cites two examples from our Party Time database. There’s this party, hosted by lobbyists Stan Skocki and Michael Rose, whose clients include American Airlines and Verizon Wireless. The event benefited Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), vice chairman of the House Rules Committee.

There’s also this party, hosted by lobbyists Wayne Berman, Ron Kaufman and Bill Simmons, for Sen. Robert Bennett of Utah, the top Republican on the Senate Rules Committee and a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

The story has a lot of good background on the nitty gritty of the bundling rules, which are easy to get around. “When it comes to disclosing lobbyist fundraising for lawmakers,” notes the piece,  “there are so many loopholes that it basically amounts to an honor system.”

Congress passed the new bundling rules in response to the scandals surrounding influence peddling by Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff. You can read it here.