Fundraising Capital For 2012: Lawmakers Line Up D.C. Events

As demonized as Washington was in this election cycle, that didn't stop challengers and incumbents alike from lining up at area lobbying shops to rake in D.C. dollars.

If you scroll through this year's most expensive races on the Federal Election Commissions Web site, you'll find the D.C. Metro area was one of the top regions for donations nationwide.

"You know Washington is always a place where you can raise money. There's always lobbyists here," says Bill Allison, fundraising analyst for the Sunlight Foundation.

The Sunlight Foundation reports seven lawmakers already have fundraisers lined up in D.C. during the lame duck session that starts Nov. 15.

Allison says the record spending on this election will look like peanuts compared to the next presidential election year.

"2010 is just a dress rehearsal for 2012. Now we know that all these groups can...raise money from undisclosed sources and spend it," Allison says.

Allison also says the 2012 campaigns began as soon as the returns were in on Tuesday.