A door to a side room opened, and he saw several legislators huddled around a prominent coal lobbyist with a notebook in his hand. He was holding court. When Eades approached the group, he said they drifted away. He pidgeonholed one senator. John Hodges and Swann are first and second in lobbyist spending since 1996.
Lobbyists spend money on more than just meals and receptions.
Some of the largest lobbyists give campaign contributions to candidates as well. We don't know. Other states require lobbyists to disclose much more information than West Virginia. For example, Maryland asks each group that lobbies its legislature to reveal the total amount it spends for salaries, overhead and other expenses - not just meals and gifts. Steenstra calls for similar disclosure of the total spending of lobbyists in West Virginia.