Oil and gas industry give hundreds of millions to politicians
Based on a report from Center
for Public Integrity
More than $440 million has been donated to political campaigns or
used for lobbying by the oil and gas industry in just the past six
years, according to a new study by Center for Public Integrity. ExxonMobil
was the largest donor, outspending the closest competitor, ChevronTexaco,
by more than $20 million.
Over 73% of the donations have gone to Republicans. Not surprisingly,
representatives in Texas, Louisiana, and other oil producing states
received the most campaign contributions, with President George W.
Bush receiving over $1.7 million alone. The report also found that
money was also spent to support conservative non-profit groups to
influence policy in favor of industry interests.
To read the full
report, and view other related resources, visit www.publicintegrity.org/oil/.