Former Rep. Thomas G. Loeffler, a Texan who is among the McCain campaigns most important advisers and fundraisers, has resigned as a national co-chair over lobbying entanglements, a Republican source told Politico on Sunday.
Its at least the fifth lobbying-related departure from the campaign in a week.
The McCain campaign, already facing the prospect of being badly outgunned in the general election, now also must cope with the disruption of the lobbying shakeout.
The McCain campaigns stringent approach to the issue is provoking a bit of grumbling from some of its Washington allies, who point out that a lobbyists function is enshrined in the Constitution.
No one in real America cares, said one key Republican. But McCain cares.
The senator, whose appeal to independent voters rests in part on his reformist image, recognizes that he will be held to a high standard in the coming campaign and wants to clean house before the general election formally kicks off, sources say.