‘Reeks of corruption’: Son of high-ranking Dem raked in hundreds of thousands from dad’s campaign, lobbyists

The son of Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Richard Neal — leader of the House Ways and Means Committee — raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars in consulting fees from his father’s campaign and pressure groups who were actively lobbying his dad on tax policy, according to Politico.

Richard Neal’s son Brendan Neal launched a one-person public affairs firm offering “political advice, lobbying and strategic communications” in 2020, roughly one year after his father became the ranking member on Ways and Means — the sole congressional committee with jurisdiction to introduce federal tax legislation, Politico reported.

Brendan Neal went on to receive a total of $196,340 from his father’s campaign for “strategic consulting services,” $20,000 from Van Heuvelen Strategies, which had interests in at least six different Ways and Means issues, and $252,500 from a client of a lobbyist who was simultaneously working for Blackstone to protect the carried-interest rate, which allows individuals working in the financial industry to pay a lower tax rate.

“Lobbyists sending huge amounts of money to the son of a particularly powerful politician, who has a great deal of control over tax policy, just reeks of corruption,” Morris Pearl, chair of Patriotic Millionaires — a coalition of wealthy Americans concerned about income inequality — told Politico. “Almost anyone, including the clients of the lobbyists who are concerned about tax policy, would conclude that these lobbyists are trying to curry favor with Representative Neal for their clients.”

Richard Neal’s office has claimed the congressman was unaware his son was employed by lobbying firms with tax issues being decided by his committee, and that the two do not discuss official business, according to Politico.

“Brendan Neal has never lobbied Congressman Neal’s office or Ways and Means Committee,” Richard Neal’s communications director Jack Chamberland told Politico. “Anyone looking to understand the congressman’s values should look at the policies he’s championed, which have made a material difference in the lives of average Americans: tax credits for families with children and tax credits for green energy, new incentives to boost American manufacturing, and tax increases on the ultra-wealthy.”

“I’m proud of my work advocating for causes like LGBT suicide prevention, the opioid crisis, climate change, and American industry,” Brendan Neal told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “I’ve always followed ethics rules. I don’t lobby my father and we don’t discuss my business.”

Congressman Neal’s office did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

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