New opportunities for enterprising consultants

The Wall Street Journal today reports on the role of freelance fundraising consultants in the current political campaign. As candidates try to round up funds for their side, they've started outsourcing their fundraising responsibilities. According to a study of campaign finance records conducted by the Center for Responsive Politics, political parties and political action committees have contracted with roughly 800 fundraising consultants and their companies for $31.3 million, more than tripling the number of consultants involved in the process in 2003. The article points out, though, that no system has yet evolved to conduct background checks on the sources of the funds, due to the sheer volume of donors, which has resulted in some sticky situations for political candidates.

The practice of hiring fundraising consultants has become so widespread that few politicians leave home without one.