Top Obama Aide Has Consulting Ties to Charities and Corporations

Barack Obama’s chief strategist, David Axelrod, is being criticized for his consulting and public-relations work for corporations and nonprofit groups after he accused John McCain’s campaign manager, Rick Davis, of selling access to public officials on behalf of his lobbying clients, reports The New York Times.

Mr. Axelrod has never been a registered lobbyist, but he has helped promote corporations such as AT&T, Cablevision, and the University of Chicago Medical Center through his company ASK Public Strategies.

However, no conflicts have emerged between Mr. Axelrod’s consulting business and his current work for Senator Obama, and most of Mr. Axelrod’s clients predate the presidential campaign, reports the newspaper.

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