CONSULTANT

High repeat itemizing on a mid-size dollar total

748,886 contributions from 36,314 donors is about 21 itemizations per donor record. That repeat rate is higher than several executive titles with larger dollar totals. $228,234,371 divided by itemizations is about $305 per contribution. Divided by donors, the mean is about $6,285 per donor record.

A high line count with a moderate per-gift mean usually means many itemized gifts stacked over time, including small repeated amounts that still cleared the reporting threshold. The packet does not include a size histogram, so that reading is an implication of the three facts, not a line-level proof.

36,314 donor records is a narrower pool than OWNER or ATTORNEY and a wider pool than FOUNDER. The occupation key is common enough to be a major row on the occupations index and specific enough that it should not be treated as “all professional services.”

What CONSULTANT does not disclose

The string does not identify clients, retainers, or whether the donor also registered as a lobbyist. Employer, when filled, is a different column. Mixing this occupation total with lobbying registrations would require a separate join that this packet does not contain.

Political consultant, management consultant, and independent consultant may all type CONSULTANT. Longer phrases that did not normalize to this key live on other pages. Best-efforts collection records the donor’s words, not a professional-license check.

Questions

How much have CONSULTANT donors given in FEC records?

Occupation CONSULTANT is attached to $228,234,371 in LobbyVault’s FEC bulk index, on 748,886 contributions from 36,314 donor records. The total is itemized occupation money, not a census of consulting firms. Occupation is self-reported free text on FEC Form 3 and Form 3X schedules. Unitemized receipts never enter this occupation total. The live hub may apply cycle filters; this packet is the harvested occupation key.

Why are there so many consultant contributions relative to donors?

748,886 itemizations and 36,314 donors imply about 21 contributions per donor record. Committees itemize each qualifying transaction, so repeat givers raise the line count. The packet does not name a typical gift size beyond the mean of about $305.

Are political consultants separated from other consultants?

Not on this page. CONSULTANT is the occupation text as filed. The FEC field does not classify consulting type. Only lines that normalized to CONSULTANT are in the $228,234,371 total. The matching contribution count is 748,886 and the matching donor-record count is 36,314. Those three numbers are occupation-string totals from FEC Form 3/3X itemizations indexed on LobbyVault, not a licensed roster and not a party split.

Does this total include unitemized consulting-related gifts?

No. Occupation is reported on itemized schedules. Amounts never itemized are not in $228,234,371, 748,886 contributions, or 36,314 donors. Occupation is self-reported free text on FEC Form 3 and Form 3X schedules. Unitemized receipts never enter this occupation total. The live hub may apply cycle filters; this packet is the harvested occupation key.