Charles Keating was a shrewd observer of people , especially people who could help him in building and protecting his financial empire . " Keating 's political beliefs were not a consideration when seeking political influence . This became evident during the course of Keating 's battles against officials who were attempting to put restrictions on the savings and loan industry . On one occasion , he used the influence he had as a heavy contributor to arrange a meeting with five legislators , four of whom were Democrats and one a Republican . Keating , a conservative Republican , had little in common with the four Democrats in the group .
Charles Keating was a shrewd observer of people , especially people who could help him in building and protecting his financial empire . Keating 's political beliefs were not a consideration when seeking political influence . This became evident during the course of Keating 's battles against officials who were attempting to put restrictions on the savings and loan industry . On one occasion , he used the influence he had as a heavy contributor to arrange a meeting with five legislators , four of whom were Democrats and one a Republican . Keating , a conservative Republican , had little in common with the four Democrats in the group .