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2016 Republican Presidential Hopefuls Press the Flesh in Las Vegas

Potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates are trooping to Las Vegas this weekend to attend the Spring Leadership Conference of the Republican Jewish Coalition . But it’s not the golf or poker tournaments they are focused on.  

Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Scott Walker, John Kasich are among those going to meet and shake hands with Republican super donor and board member Sheldon Adelson and others who are active in the Republican lobbying group and also major donors to Republican organizations, such as Super PACs, party committees and non-profit organizations. View board members .  

The coalition has a federal political action committee, the Republican Jewish Coalition PAC,  that generally gives out about $150,000 per election cycle. View financial profile . So far this cycle, they have given $10,000 to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; $5,000 to Rep. William Cassidy, R-La.; $5,000 to en. John Cornyn, R-Texas; $2,500 to U.S. Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez, R-Mass; and $1,000 to Rep. Reid Ribble, R-Wis.  

Their donors this cycle include $5,000 each from Wayne Berman (Berman Enterprises, DC); Kenneth Bialkin (Skadden Arps, NY); Ronald Bloom (real estate, CA); Michael David Epstein (businessman, MD); Ari Fleischer (consultant, NY); Sam Fox (Harbour Group, MO); Mark Isakowitz (lobbyists, DC); David Kaplan (consultant, MA); George Klein (Park Tower Group, NY); Earle Mack (Mack Company, NJ); Larry Mizel (MDC Holdings, CO); Mel Sembler (Sembler Co., FL); Allan Tessler (Int’l. Financial Group, WY); among others.  

The coalition also reports spending a small amount on lobbying. Since the first quarter of 2008, the coalition has reported spending $20,000 every quarter on lobbying the federal government. View lobbying expenditures profile .  

In the fourth quarter of 2013, the coalition reported  their lobbyist was Noah Silverman, who lobbied on HR 850: Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013; S.1881: Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act; and S.462 and HR 938, United States-Israel Partnership Act of 2013. He also lobbied on H.R. 148: Disclose 2013 Act; and S.791: Follow the Money Act of 2013.

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