Michael Bloomberg Spent $700K on Venable, Campaign Disclosure Shows
"The teams that Mike has put together have worked with Venable for more than a decade and Willkie far longer than that," a Bloomberg campaign representative said.
February 03, 2020 at 05:08 PM
4 minute read
Venable's offices in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM)
Michael R. Bloomberg, the multibillionaire businessman drawing on his personal fortune to bankroll a Democratic bid for the presidency, paid the law firm Venable nearly $700,000 in the final months of 2019 as he made a late entry into the race.
Bloomberg, who served from 2002 to 2013 as mayor of New York City, also hired Willkie Farr & Gallagher, spending $75,000 on "legal consulting," according to his campaign financial disclosure, his first since entering the race for the White House.
Bloomberg's legal spending amounted to a small fraction of the more than $200 million he has spent on his presidential candidacy in the final months of 2019, with much of the money devoted to television and online advertising. Bloomberg's expenditures broadly dwarfed those of his rivals, although he ranks fourth in recent national polls.
A campaign spokesman said Bloomberg has long-standing ties to Venable and Wilkie.
"The teams that Mike has put together have worked with Venable for more than a decade and Willkie far longer than that. They do phenomenal work and we'd recommend them to anyone other than our election opponent—Donald Trump," said Stu Loeser, a spokesman for Bloomberg's campaign.
A Venable spokesman declined to comment Monday, deferring to the Bloomberg campaign.
At Venable, Bloomerg's legal team includes Larry Norton, a former general counsel of the Federal Election Commission who now leads the law firm's political law practice. In December, Norton wrote a letter to the FEC on Bloomberg's behalf, requesting an extension to file a mandatory financial disclosure requiring presidential candidates to reveal their investments and income streams.
"Mr. Bloomberg requires additional time to collect information regarding complex holdings and prepare and file his report," Norton wrote.
After initially extending the deadline to Feb. 4, a day after the Iowa caucuses, the FEC consented to a second extension. Bloomberg's financial disclosure is now due March 20, more than two weeks after the Super Tuesday primaries.
Democratic candidates have racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills in pursuit of the nomination to challenge President Donald Trump.
Former Vice President Joe Biden turned to Covington & Burling, where Robert Lenhard, a former FEC chairman, is leading the firm's work for the campaign. U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar directed all of their legal spending last year to Perkins Coie, a law firm known for its close Democratic ties. And after initially shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars to Jenner & Block, Pete Buttigieg's campaign has increasingly turned to Perkins Coie in recent months, according to disclosures.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign has relied on smaller firms, including Peer, Gan & Gisler, for legal counsel.
Read more:
Big Law Chairmen and Prominent Trial Lawyers Help Drive Biden Fundraising
Biden Spent $250K on Covington, and Buttigieg Paid Jenner $140K: New Reports
Law Firms Play Host as 2020 Presidential Candidates Make Their Pitch
Joe Biden Picks Covington & Burling as Campaign Counsel
Jones Day, Perkins Coie Dominate 2020 Election Spending
Buttigieg Worked With Jenner, and Warren Went With Perkins Coie
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