Here is a question: When USA Swimming purchases the services of a lobbyist does some of that money make its way into a politician's coffers?

If so, would love to know which political party USA Swimming prefers. According to a reader email it appears to be the Republicans.

When I mentioned that USA Swimming had purchased the lobbying services of  Nielsen Merksamer a Sacramento based lobbying firm hired to kill Senate Bill 131; a bill that would extend the statute of Limitations on child sex abuse lawsuits, one reader had something to say and it is a curious thought too.

This reader mentioned to me in a private email; (they wanted to remain very anonymous), that two California politicians named Steve Knight out of Antelope Valley and a former trial lawyer named Don Wagner in Orange County, California did the following to suppress SB 131 probably at the behest of USA Swimming and the Catholic Church.

 "... [Steve] has two kids in USA Swimming. If anyone should have common sense it should be Knight. Last year, as vice chair of the Republican Caucus he was on board to kill Beall's bill. His committee vote was chicken S*** and cowardly. He abstained. He knew that it took a majority of the committee members to get it out of committee so his abstention was really a NO vote. Would be interesting to see which California legislators, if any, have received money from Colorado Springs. That's one of the first orders that will come from the lobbyists. Send money to key legislators. ..." 

Don Wagner out of Orange County. He is a former lawyer who made millions suing people and now claims this holier than thou attitude about these bills. He blames trial lawyers, says they are job killers, etc..."

There you have it... Has USA Swimming hired lobbyists with member donations to make the requisite political "donations" for them to get this billed killed or "modified"?