Vicki Iseman
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Vicki L. Iseman |
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Vicki L. Iseman (born 1967) is a Washington, D.C.-based lobbyist working for the firm Alcalde & Fay. She gained national media attention on February 21, 2008, when The New York Times ran a story[1] alleging that during John McCain's presidential campaign in the 2000 presidential primaries, McCain's aides had to intervene with the candidate to put a halt to the "appearance of a close bond with a lobbyist" due to the perceived closeness between McCain and Iseman. The resulting John McCain lobbyist controversy, and the McCain campaign's pushback against its coverage, has become a major story in the American media during the 2008 presidential campaign.
Personal
A native of Indiana, Pennsylvania, Vicki Iseman graduated in 1985 from the Homer-Center High School[2], where she was a cheerleader and a member of the student council.[3] She went on to attend the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education in 1990.[4] In 2006, she delivered the commencement address at her old high school,[3] and would lobby for both that school and her alma mater during her career.[5] Her family still lives in Indiana County, where Ms. Iseman is recalled as a "hometown girl who made good".[3]
Career
Within months of graduation, Iseman joined a friend in Washington, D.C. and initially got a job as a receptionist at Alcalde & Fay. After a few months, she approached the president of Alcalde & Fay and said "I’m a college graduate and I’d like you to consider me for a secretarial or an administrative position." The president agreed to a three-month trial and within a year she became his special assistant.[4]
From this position, Iseman learned about lobbying from the firm's president, and soon became a lobbyist in her own right. Eight years later, she became the youngest partner in the history of Alcalde & Fay.[4]
Clients
Her clients have most notably been broadcasters who were interested in the regulation of cable television. Her most prominent broadcast clients from 1998 through 2006 have included PAX Network (and its corporate parent, Paxson Communications), CanWest Global Communications, Religious Voices in Broadcasting, ION Media Networks, Click Radio, i2 Telecom International, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Total Living Network, Jovan Broadcasting, Saga Communications, Capstar Broadcasting Partners, Telemundo, and the Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation (purchased in 2003 by Univision Communications, Inc. and renamed Univision Radio).[4][6] She is also known for her work for the telecommunications industry,[5] including her lobbying for BearingPoint and the Computer Sciences Corporation.[6]
Some of her other prominent clients have been PricewaterhouseCoopers, Carnival Cruise Lines (and the family trust of owner Micky Arison), AstraZeneca, CACI, FCCLA, American Medical Facilities Management, Marin County and Tulare County, California, Hillsborough County, Florida, and the cities of Miami, Florida, and Palm Springs, California.[6] She also lobbied for some charitable personal causes, including her aforementioned efforts for her former high school and university. [5]
Lobbying activities
On behalf of these clients, she lobbied both the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce (commonly known as the House Commerce Committee) and the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (commonly known as the Senate Commerce Committee).[7] In the course of hearings on communications bills in 1992 and 1996 which eventually led to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, she argued that cable TV should have to carry broadcast television.[7] She also represented her clients' interests with respect to the upcoming conversion to digital television; satellite reception; and telecommunications ownership provisions.
Her other activities as a lobbyist included grassroots organizing on behalf of clients interested in the allocation of Federal Highway Administration trust funds; assisted clients interested in securing government contracts and government appropriations; and participated in political fundraising.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Jim Rutenberg, Marilyn W. Thompson, David D. Kirkpatrick, Stephen Labaton (February 21, 2008). "For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses Its Own Risk". The New York Times.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Jeff Himler (October 21, 2005). "Board expedites support for baseball field". The Dispatch.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b c "Lobbyist Linked To John McCain In Paper Is From Western Pa". WTAE-TV. February 21, 2008.
- ^ a b c d Bruce Dries (Fall 2002). "A View from the Top". IUP Magazine.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b c Cindi Lash, Dan Majors (February 22, 2008). "Indiana County shows pride in Iseman". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ^ a b c "Career Client List, 1998 - 2006". Open Secrets. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- ^ a b c "Vicki Iseman". Alcalde & Fay. Archived from the original on 2008-02-21. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; 2006-06-28 suggested (help)
External links
- List of clients for which Iseman has lobbied, accessed from opensecrets.org