Dark Money and the US Chamber of Commerce: Majority of Donations Given by Just 64 Entities

[marmar]

Dark Money and the US Chamber of Commerce: Majority of Donations Given by Just 64 Entities

Monday, 10 February 2014 14:04
By Candice Bernd, Truthout | News Analysis


Don't be fooled by the US Chamber of Commerce's rhetoric that it represents the interests of small businesses in America, because the interests of those really funding the Chamber are likely very different from the concerns of the nation's mom-and-pop shops.

A new report by Public Citizen, called "The Gilded Chamber," analyzes the US Chamber of Commerce's 2012 tax forms and found that more than half of all contributions to the Chamber came from just 64 donors in 2012.

The report looks at 1,619 contributions listed on Form 990 tax return documents, required for nonprofits to report contributions of more than $5000 to the IRS, by the Chamber and its partner, the US Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR). The ILR works in conjunction with the Chamber for legal reforms that largely favor business and against consumer-access to the courts. Only a few of the organization's overall donors make up the majority of their contributions, according to the report.

"It makes you wonder whether they have policy disputes: whether concerns from small businesses who donate to the Chamber and want certain things to come out of it; are they going to get their policies pushed by the Chamber if the companies giving the hundreds of thousands and millions are making up much more of the base of the Chamber's fundraising?" Sam Jewler, the report's author, told Truthout. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/news/item/21781-dark-money-and-the-us-chamber-of-commerce-majority-of-donations-given-by-just-64-entities

[Brother Buzz]

1. Every time I read 'US Chamber of Commerce' I have to pat my trousers...

to make sure my billfold is still there.

[Berlum]

2. "Sneer. Smirk." - RepubliWankers (R - 1% - Darksiders)