Huffington Post’s Ryan Grim: Puff, Puff, Give: Lobbyists Plying Hill Staffers Through Congressional Cigar Association

As evening fell, guests lounged in the garden out back, sipping cold drinks and puffing away on what smelled like high-end cigars. Gary Pesh, owner of Old Virginia Tobacco and a member of the Congressional Cigar Association, said the event is just an excuse to “get together and have fun.” When asked about the conflict of interest inherent in allowing lobbyists to fund a congressional staff organization, dozens of attendees just continued wordlessly on up the red brick steps. “This is approved by the House, so we’re good,” one staffer said. (Another staffer told HuffPost that filming wasn’t allowed, though she was standing under a sign warning passersby that the area was under video surveillance.)

RELATED: FamousDC’s Media Ticket (July 10, 2008)

Director of National Drug Control Policy – Ryan Grim, Politico
This will be fun to watch. Director Grim will need a good press secretary if anyone is looking for a job. His weekly Eastern Shore Ken Kesey parties will become Page Six fodder.