VECO's Scandal-Tainted Money Roils Politicians = oil-friendly lawmakers and candidates

[L. Coyote]

Big money oiled politics w/o regard for the law. Now, the law is catching up to the oil crooks.

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Scandal-Tainted Money Roils Politicians
By MATT APUZZO - AP
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ildhsDppMQPDlPXnHPrmnEuo6ybQD8S2MKJG0

WASHINGTON (AP) — For years, while VECO Corp. was flush with oil profits and in a giving mood, Capitol Hill politicians happily accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from employees of the Alaska oil contractor.

.... some in Washington are shedding the campaign donations connected with the company.

VECO founder Bill Allen and former company vice president Rick Smith have pleaded guilty to bribing public officials. They also admitted running a company "special bonus program" that steered money to favored candidates, violated federal tax laws and sent untold amounts of corporate money into political coffers.

Testifying recently at a corruption trial in Anchorage, Alaska, Allen said his generosity was aimed at oil-friendly lawmakers and candidates. "If they're working with the oil industry, I'd like to help with their campaigns," he said.

From 1993 until the FBI approached them last year, Allen and Smith donated more than $200,000 to federal political causes. Their employees donated twice that amount, ............

........

[L. Coyote]

1. OpenSecrets.org has an online database to research campaign contributions.

OpenSecrets.org has an online database to research campaign contributions. Of course, you won't find things like a new story added to a Senator's home in this source!

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?key=H2VKT&txtName=VECO&txtState=(all%20states)&txtAll=Y&Order=N

VECO CORPORATION, ANCHORAGE,AK 99503

10/15/1998 - $100,000 - RNC/Repub National State Elections Cmte
5/24/2001  -  $25,000 - 2001 President's Dinner/Non-Fed Trust
6/28/1996  -  $20,000 - RNC/Repub National State Elections Cmte
5/14/2002  -  $10,000 - Stevens Victory Cmte Non-Federal

[L. Coyote]

2. VECO CEO Allen, Bill - Anchorage, AK 99503 = $186,700

VECO CEO Allen, Bill - Anchorage, AK 99503
111 records = Total for this search: $186,700
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?key=9x2jv&txtName=Allen&txtState=AK&txtEmploy=veco&txtAll=Y&Order=N

10/7/2004  -  $8,000 - Missouri Republican State Cmte
11/9/2000  -  $5,000 - Republican Party of Alaska
4/9/2001   -  $5,000 - Republican Party of Alaska
10/12/1999 -  $5,000 - Republican Party of Alaska
4/9/2001   -  $5,000 - Republican Party of Alaska

9/29/1999  -  $5,000 - Americans for Sound Energy Policy

The list of candidates is very interesting:

Vitter, Young, Stevens, Murkowski, Talent, Chenowith, Gorton, Specter, Bunn, Burns,
Voinovich, Inouye, Bush, Dunn, DeMint, Thune, Hutchinson, Sununu, Hayworth, Coleman

[Toots]

3. Senator Inouye

The only Democrat on the list. :wtf: Why him? A Medal of Honor recipient. A Hero..

[L. Coyote]

4. Check the whole list. DEM Party of Alaska got a mere $500. Others there too

[L. Coyote]

5. Good question. Native American issues?

Inouye is a very powerful Senator. One of his special interests, as a Hawaiian native, is Native issues. Alaska also has a lot of Natives. What this has to do with an oil services company though, I don't know, except, Senator Inouye is a very powerful Senator.