U.S. Chamber using foreign dollars for electioneering
Submitted by scharrison on Thu, 10/07/2010 - 1:15pm
It ain't your dad's (or granddad's) Chamber of Commerce, folks:
Having aired more than 8,000 campaign ads on behalf of GOP Senate candidates alone and having spent 85 percent of its current expenditure on Republicans, the Chamber's spending has "dwarfed every other issue group and most political party candidate committee spending."
What the ThinkProgress investigation found is that the Chamber has spearheaded efforts "to raise money from foreign corporations, including ones controlled by foreign governments" and funneled that money into its general 501(c)(6) account. Foreign members send money either directly to the U.S. Chamber or to their country's local American Chamber (AmCham), which then transfers dues payments back to the Chamber's H Street office in Washington, D.C.
Hat-tip to Rob Schofield of the Progressive Pulse.
While researching an article I wrote a few years ago dealing with shady business deals in former Soviet satellites, I continually stumbled across references to the American Chamber. Either they were publishing feel-good propaganda pieces about these quasi-legal business ventures or actively involved in the negotiations.
The bottom line: not only is foreign money coming to bear, but some of that foreign money was originally U.S. taxpayer's money that found its way into foreign pockets.
More on these (current) Chamber shenanigans:
In 2006, the Chamber created the "U.S.-Bahrain Business Council" (USBBC), a local office of the Chamber's 501(c)(6) trade association to help Bahranian businesses take advantage of the Chamber's "network of government and business relationships in the US and worldwide." Many of the USBBC board members are Bahranian, including Bahrain Martime & Mercantile International, Aluminum Bahrain, and the state-owned Bahrain Petroleum Company. USBBC's membership form explicitly states that foreign-owned firms are welcome and directs applicants to send or wire dues directly to the Chamber. With each USBBC board member contributing at least $10,000 annually, the Chamber of Commerce raises well over $100,000 a year in funds from its operation in Bahrain.
That's just one country.
PopeCo
It's bad enough that they're buying North Carolina elected officials ... but to be doing it with cash from foreign companies? That's sick.
Too bad the MSM haven't been bothered to notice this threat to democracy.
Do good. Be nice. Have fun.
You know, when the Citizens United
decision was first published, I argued with several right-wing knuckleheads about how the barn door was opening for foreign influence (money) to be used in (U.S.) elections, and all I got from them was, "That can't happen" or "You're just inventing an issue".
Not only was stuff like this probable, it was inevitable.
If democrats were smart (and that's a big if)
They would jump on this and hammer it repeatedly until 11-2.
"Republicans - bought and paid for by foreign money"
"So now it's not just corporate Dollars lining Republican wallets, it's Euros, Yen, Yuan, Rupees ..."
Environmental Defense Fund
Cell phones will be to the 21st century what tobacco was to the 20th.
I agree
At least it would let the (American) voters know who's funding some of these campaign ads. If that's not enough to make them stop and think, I don't know what would.