How to buy influence: the ex-Senator version

John B. Breaux is the former Democratic senator from Louisiana who left that august body in 2005 after not seeking re-election in 2004. But he lingers on. Or, rather, his money and its influence lingers on.

Read on. Dessert’s at the end.

On June 10, 2003, then-Sen. Breaux made a $15,000 donation to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from his “leadership” PAC (see definition), Mainstream America PAC.

On June 30, 2003, he gave $1,000 to Friends of Blanche Lincoln, the Democratic senator from Arkansas.

On March 27, 2003, he gave $5,000 to committee of Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.).

On Nov. 17, 2003, he gave $1,000 to the Friends of Chris Dodd, the Democratic senator from Connecticut.

On. Oct. 27, 2003, he gave $1,000 to Inez Tenenbaum, a Democrat who ran unsuccessfully for a Senate seat from South Carolina.

On Oct. 9, 2003, he gave $2,500 to People for Patty Murray. She’s a Democratic senator from Washington.

On Dec. 10, 2003, he gave $500 to Tony Knowles, an Alaskan Democrat who lost a Senate challenge to Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

On April 15, 2004, he gave $500 to Vic Snyder, a Democratic congressman from Arkansas.

In 2002, Breaux’s leadership PAC gave $23,000 to Democratic House candidates. It gave $108,000 to Democratic Senate candidates, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

In 2000, his PAC gave $9,500 to Democratic House candidates and $64,000 to Democratic Senate candidates.

On June 15, 2006, former Sen. John B. Breaux registered as a lobbyist for the U.S. India Business Council with the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Think he’ll have trouble getting legislators to take his calls?

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