Democratic Lawyer Crafted Deal That Would Obliterate Campaign Contribution Limits

Democratic Lawyer Crafted Deal That Would Obliterate Campaign Contribution Limits
Scaffolding surrounds the U.S. Capitol Building Dome before sunrise in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014. Congress will vote this week on a $1.1 trillion spending plan that would avert a U.S. government shutdown as Democrats agreed to roll back rules affecting banks, clean water and rest for truckers. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Scaffolding surrounds the U.S. Capitol Building Dome before sunrise in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014. Congress will vote this week on a $1.1 trillion spending plan that would avert a U.S. government shutdown as Democrats agreed to roll back rules affecting banks, clean water and rest for truckers. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A powerful Democratic lawyer helped craft a provision that was slipped into a year-end spending bill allowing political parties to raise huge new pools of cash — including some for legal fees that are likely going to be collected by his own firm.

Marc Elias, a partner at the Seattle-based law firm Perkins Coie, was called in to advise outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s aides on the campaign finance proposal on Tuesday, as they negotiated it with representatives from House Speaker John Boehner’s office, multiple sources confirm.

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