Lobbyist Vicki Iseman Responds to NYTimes Story about McCain

Back in February, the New York Times published an article about the relationship between Sen John McCain (R-AZ) and telecommunications lobbyist Vicki Iseman. Now, after more than seven months of silence, Iseman has decided to speak out and aggressively defend herself, saying she "never acted unethically in my dealings with the senator." McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, was Iseman's principal contact at the McCain campaign. The two have known each other since 1999 when she raised funds for McCain's unsuccessful bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Iseman made no effort to hide her dealings with Davis and revealed that she consulted him after The New York Times began poking into her background last year. Describing her role with the Senate Commerce Committee, chaired by Senator McCain, and McCain's first run for the White House, Iseman says she supported McCain's bid and raised money for him. She thinks that she attended three fundraisers for him during that campaign. There is no question that she could get clients in to see McCain and the committee staff, she says, but she maintains that she had no "special" access to the senator.