Wayne L. Berman - the influential Washington consultant/lobbyist and national Republican fundraiser who came under federal scrutiny during the 1999 corruption scandal surrounding former state treasurer Paul Silvester - continues to play a prominent fund-raising role at the GOP's top level: He was listed as one of the top "bundlers" of contributions for 2012 presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on a recent report to the Federal Election Commission.
The FEC requires periodic reports of what it calls "bundled contributions" by registered lobbyists. Bundling is the lawful but sometimes controversial practice of soliciting contributions and bringing them to a candidate's campaign committee all at once, in a so-called "bundle." A July 15 report by Romney for President listed Berman as one of six lobbyists who raised an aggregate total of $517,450 in bundled contributions during the previous three months. Berman's own bundled total was $101,600.
Berman could not be reached for comment; his office said Thursday that he was traveling.
