By Shawn Zeller, CQ Staff

True tales of lobbying . . . straight from federal disclosure forms

The lobbyist:William Clyburn Jr., cousin of House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn of South Carolina and former aide to Democratic Sens. Zell Miller of Georgia and Charles S. Robb of Virginia.

The work: Persuade Congress to pass legislation giving the Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over tobacco.

The pay: Neither William Clyburn nor the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids responded to requests for comment.

The back story: The House version of the bill, by Democrat Henry A. Waxman of California, hit a bump in May with news it would exempt menthol from a ban on cigarette flavorings. The Congressional Black Caucus threatened to oppose the measure, saying the exemption was written to accommodate Philip Morris USA. Menthol cigarettes are particularly popular with African-American smokers. After lobbyist Clyburn was brought in, a compromise was reached: Waxman included language calling for a scientific panel to study menthol flavoring and give the House recommendations. When the bill came to a House vote last week, no black members opposed it, and it passed overwhelmingly.