Lobbying, Richard McAuliffe says, "is really about relationships. You have to know these people."

It should be no surprise, then, that McAuliffe is a master at helping his clients win money from the federal government.

His political career began at 21 when he volunteered in 1990 to drive for Jack Reed, then a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was asked to stay on as a legislative aide after Reed won.

McAuliffe went to Washington and spent six years working for the man who is now Rhode Island’s senior senator, with seats on the powerful Senate Armed Services and Appropriations committees.

“He was and still is my mentor,” McAuliffe says of Reed.

McAuliffe left the Reed camp in 1996, spent a couple years in the private sector, and was later hired to run state operations for U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who now sits on the House Appropriations Committee. The appropriations committees largely control federal discretionary spending.

“I’m the only person who worked for both Kennedy and Reed, and they’re both on the appropriations committees,” he says. “I’ve had people come to me and say, ‘We’re interested in trying to get some federal dollars,’ and having the background experience I have with both of them, is very helpful.”

Before moving to Kennedy’s office, McAuliffe also ran Democrat Charles J. Fogarty’s successful campaign for lieutenant governor in 1998, giving him strong connections to state leaders. He says his experience at the State House and in Washington made the transition to the private sector six years ago “seamless.”

“It’s really about relationships. You have to know these people. It was really easy for me because I didn’t have to go through that introductory period where I had to say, ‘Hi, my name’s Rick McAuliffe, and I’m representing this company,’ ” he said. “I was lucky because I had such a prominent role with Charlie and with Jack Reed and with Patrick that they all knew me.

“It wasn’t uncommon for me when I worked for Fogarty and Kennedy to go have lunch or dinner with the legislative leadership, the governor and some of the statewide officers. … That didn’t mean I got what I wanted. But it certainly meant that I was able to get my clients in front of them.”

In contrast to some of his peers, McAuliffe is highly selective about his clients. He says he refuses to represent any entity regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. That means no gun companies, no cigarette companies and no liquor distributors. He also shies away from the casino and pharmaceutical industries.

“Do I think there’s a need for someone to represent them on both ends? Absolutely. But I just, in good conscience, don’t want to get involved in those types of things. I think there needs to be a public purpose.”

McAuliffe’s nonprofit clients include the Fogarty Center, which provides services to adults with developmental disabilities; the Rhode Island Child Care Directors Association and the Rhode Island Association of Facilities and Services for the Aging. He is among the leading behind-the-scenes voices pushing legislative leaders to restore cuts to social services proposed by Governor Carcieri.

Other clients include Johnson & Wales University, the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, Wachovia Global Securities Lending and Smart Staffing, the employment firm at the center of a high-profile inquiry into state hiring practices.