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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJim Hightower: Dark-money (GOP) donors unmasked (Coca-Cola, Comcast, WalMart, Aetna, others)
Dark-money donors unmasked
LowDown
By Jim Hightower
October 15, 2014
http://www.csindy.com/coloradosprings/dark-money-donors-unmasked/Content?oid=2952824
These are chieftains of brand-name corporate giants who have secretly funneled millions of their shareholders' dollars into the "dark money" vault of the Republican Governors Association. In turn, the RGA channels the political cash into the campaigns of assorted right-wing governors.
...
But oops! in September, the RGA made a coding error in its database of dark-money donors, exposing the names of a mess of the GOP's secret-money corporations.
Suddenly, the chieftains were buck-naked in front of customers, employees, stockholders and others who were startled and angered to learn that the companies they supported were working against their interests. Here are some of the corporate dreamers that were pulling the wool over our eyes: Aetna, Aflac, Blue Cross, Coca-Cola, Comcast, Exxon Mobil, Hewlett-Packard, Koch Industries, Microsoft, Novartis, Pfizer, Shell Oil, United Health, Verizon, Walgreens and Walmart.
Fred Wertheimer, a lifelong champion of political-money reform, noted that the RGA's boo-boo offers "a classic example of how corporations are trying to use secret money hidden from the American people, to buy influence, and how the Governors Association is selling it."
LowDown
By Jim Hightower
October 15, 2014
http://www.csindy.com/coloradosprings/dark-money-donors-unmasked/Content?oid=2952824
These are chieftains of brand-name corporate giants who have secretly funneled millions of their shareholders' dollars into the "dark money" vault of the Republican Governors Association. In turn, the RGA channels the political cash into the campaigns of assorted right-wing governors.
...
But oops! in September, the RGA made a coding error in its database of dark-money donors, exposing the names of a mess of the GOP's secret-money corporations.
Suddenly, the chieftains were buck-naked in front of customers, employees, stockholders and others who were startled and angered to learn that the companies they supported were working against their interests. Here are some of the corporate dreamers that were pulling the wool over our eyes: Aetna, Aflac, Blue Cross, Coca-Cola, Comcast, Exxon Mobil, Hewlett-Packard, Koch Industries, Microsoft, Novartis, Pfizer, Shell Oil, United Health, Verizon, Walgreens and Walmart.
Fred Wertheimer, a lifelong champion of political-money reform, noted that the RGA's boo-boo offers "a classic example of how corporations are trying to use secret money hidden from the American people, to buy influence, and how the Governors Association is selling it."
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Jim Hightower: Dark-money (GOP) donors unmasked (Coca-Cola, Comcast, WalMart, Aetna, others) (Original Post)
Miles Archer
Oct 2014
OP
Mr Gates has pledged to give away his personal fortune to charitable groups before
Tommymac
Oct 2014
#6
Laf.La.Dem.
(2,943 posts)1. No big surprises
But good to have it out in the open
Robbins
(5,066 posts)2. So
Microsoft gives lots of money to GOP yet some claim Bill Gates does same for democrats as the Koch brothers?
Tommymac
(7,263 posts)6. Mr Gates has pledged to give away his personal fortune to charitable groups before
he dies. Along with Warren Buffett and a few others in the .01%.
That sets them worlds apart from the sociopathic Kochs and Waltons.
And I'm not sure how much practical day to day influence Bill has over Microsoft's fiduciary affairs anymore. That baby has grown up.
GeorgeGist
(25,320 posts)3. They're not trying Fred ...
they've succeeded.
SunSeeker
(51,550 posts)4. K & R for exposure. nt
aggiesal
(8,914 posts)5. I'm sure you won't hear anything about this ...
on other "NEWS" outlets.
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)7. Ain't that the truth!
eShirl
(18,490 posts)8. kick!
and r
Martin Eden
(12,864 posts)9. Does ""SECRET MONEY** = SPEECH???
Seems to me that SPEECH is something that is heard in the light of day -- not dark money from sources which prefer to remain hidden.
What is the Constitutional basis for equating dark money with freedom of speech?