Sweeney's Ski Guests

The Post Star has obtained a list of the names released by the Olympic Committee of people who attended the ski event set up by John Sweeney. Here they are:

• U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, R-Clifton Park, Gayle Sweeney (the congressman's wife), Angela Sparks, Wayne Beddoe, Dan Gage, Phil Oliva (former Sweeney aide), Jim Clark (Sweeney aide), Chris Nedwick (Sweeney aide), Jim Adler (Sweeney aide), Tony Scannella. Traveling to Lake Placid via Southwest Airlines flight from Baltimore: U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, Nete Sessions (the congressman's wife), Sean O'Shea, Geoff Gleason, Matthew Trant, Ian Musselman, Bill Teator (aide to former U.S. Rep. Gerald Solomon who later worked in Solomon's lobbying firm), Joe Reiss, Louise Perkins, Bob Bissen, Deborah Bissen, Shawn Smeallie, Ian Steff, Mike Johnson, Garrett Johnson, Thurgood Marshall, Teddi Levy, Steve Bull (USOC government representative), Sherry Turner, Amanda Cernik (Sweeney aide), Sean O'Neill (Sweeney aide), Melissa Carlson (Sweeney aide), Bill Rayball (Sweeney aide), Meredith Curcio, David Taft (Sweeney aide), Vickie Sanville (Sweeney aide), Anne McGuire, Peter Goelz, Maureen Dwyer, John Epting, Bob Okun, Jennifer Taylor, Brad Card (former Sweeney chief of staff, now a lobbyist), Scott Schloegel, Luci Gikovich, Dan Crane, Amanda Parsons, Lisi Kaufman, Robert Van Wicklin, Tim Powers, Ellen Powers, Don McGahn, Creighton Schneck.

What they gave:

• Pete Sesions served on the House Homeland Security Committee with Sweeney
• Angela Sparks, vice president Energy East Corp., Saratoga Springs, donated $1,000 according to the Post Star.
• Geoff Gleason, Lobbyist of The Livingston Group was a Chief of Staff to both Solomon and Sweeney. Has donated $7,300 to Sweeney from 2003-2005.
• Matthew Trant donated $1,000 to Sweeney on 5/9/2005 and is Vice President of lobbyist firm The National Group.
• Ian Musselman donated to the Bush 04 campaign, but his employment information is not listed, he lives in DC.
• Bill Teator is also with the Livingston Group, his wife donated $400 to Sweeney in 2005 and she works for Capital Advocates LLC. He's given $3,100 acording to the Post Star.
• Bob Bissen: Former Intergovernmental affairs specialist with the U.S. Department of Energy,  his name also comes up as working with Texas firm Petroleum Solutions. A Vice Pres. of Public Relations for APCO Worldwide.
• Shawn Smealie has donated $3,000 to Sweeney since 2003. He's the Managing Director for AIG.  
• Ian Paul Steff is the Government Affairs Specialist        for the Semiconductor Industry Association which recently gave Sweeney an award.
  
• Brad Card has given $7,500 to the Sweeney campaign to date.
  
• Scott Schloegel is Chief of Staff for the office of Bart Stupak, the ranking minority member of the Sub Committee on Oversight and Investigations.
• Luci Gikovich works as Director for Federal Relations for lobbying firm Platinum Advisors in DC.
• Lisi Kaufman Senior Vice President for Government and International Affairs for United Technolgies. She is the former chief of staff to US Sec. of Commerce, Don Evans. She is Brad and Andrew Card's sister and has donated $500 to Sweeney.
• Robert Van Wicklin is press secretary for NY Republican Represenative Randy Kuhl.
• Tim Powers donated $1,250 to Sweeney, and is a consultant for Powers Strategies and a Co-Chairman for Artemis Strategies. Both appear to be lobbyist firms. The other day the Post Star reported that:

Although some of those individuals are lobbyists, it was not a lobbying event, per se, he Steve Bull, USOC government representative]said.

"It's really intended to give some congressional support to New York's tourism industry," he said.

Oh really?