Ties to McCain lucrative for aide

As Sen. John McCain’s top presidential campaign advisor, Rick Davis has worked for almost a year without compensation, telling reporters that the sacrifice shows his dedication to the cash-strapped Republican. He also took a protracted leave from his Washington lobbying firm to distance himself from ethical questions.

But in the eight years since Davis first managed a McCain campaign, his relationship with the Arizona senator has been a lucrative commodity. He and his lobbying firm, Davis Manafort Inc., have earned handsome fees representing clients who need McCain’s help in the Senate. He also has made money from a panoply of McCain-related entities.

In all, Davis, his firm and a company he helped start have earned at least $2.2 million partly through their close association with McCain, his campaign and his causes, according to a review of federal campaign, tax and lobbyist disclosure records.

Davis is not the only McCain advisor to earn substantial income from McCain-affiliated endeavors during and after his campaigns. Longtime fundraiser Carla Eudy earned $138,434 working for McCain’s 2000 presidential bid. But she made far more -- $813,000 -- working for McCain’s leadership committee, the Reform Institute, and another nonprofit McCain chaired, the International Republican Institute, tax records show.

Trevor Potter, McCain’s top lawyer, has brought in nearly $750,000 in fees for his law firms by working for such endeavors as well as $949,000 in compensation over five years for the nonprofit organization he helped create, the Campaign Legal Center, which has defended in court the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, tax records show.

Firms run by R. Rebecca Donatelli, McCain’s Internet strategist in 2000, since then have done more than $700,000 in work for McCain-related endeavors, though the campaign notes that some of that money has gone to cover credit card transaction fees for money raised online.

Davis declined requests for an interview. In response to detailed questions, the campaign issued a brief statement.

“During this campaign, Mr. Davis has not received a single penny from any company doing business with the McCain campaign,” it said.

Through the campaign, Eudy, Potter and Donatelli declined to comment.

The three serve on McCain’s advisory team, and Davis, 49, is the candidate’s campaign manager and point man on ethics. He wrote the conflict policy that spurred resignations a few weeks ago among McCain advisors who also had roles as Washington lobbyists or were affiliated with outside groups.

Several of those who left were foreign lobbyists, and since then some advocacy groups have called for Davis’ ouster because his lobbying firm in 2006 represented a Ukrainian politician opposed by the U.S. government.