Thirty Companies Contribute $41 Million to 524 Members of Congress, Receive $10.6 Billion in Tax Rebates

MASSPIRG Education Fund

Boston—A new report released Wednesday, March 21st by MASSPIRG Education Fund and Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ) found that thirty tax dodging corporations have made campaign contributions to 524 (98%) sitting members of Congress, and disproportionately to the leadership of both parties and to key committee members. The report, Loopholes for Sale: Campaign Contributions by Corporate Tax Dodgers examines campaign contributions made by a total of 280 profitable Fortune 500 companies in 2006, 2008, 2010 and to date in 2012.

Loopholes for Sale focuses on campaign contributions by 30 companies—dubbed-the “Dirty Thirty”—that a previous MASSPIRG/CTJ study found collectively paid no federal corporate income taxes between 2008 and 2010 while receiving $10.6 billion in tax rebates and spending millions to lobby Congress. Altogether, these companies spent $41 million on campaign contributions during the four most recent election cycles, with each member of Congress receiving $58,000 on average (top recipients and donors listed below).

“These aggressive tax dodgers left nothing to chance by making campaign contributions to all but ten current members of Congress,” said MASSPIRG Executive Director Janet Domenitz. “The pervasiveness of that money across party lines speaks volumes about why major proposals to close corporate tax loopholes have not even come up for a vote.”

PAC contributions from these thirty corporations were most concentrated among leadership in both parties and the committees that control tax policy in both chambers of Congress. An average of $84,859 went to current members of the House Ways and Means Committee, which is 66% more than the average House member, not on that committee, received. All but one Senate Finance Committee member, Maria Cantwell of Washington State, received an average of $83,209, which is 28% more than the average Senator not on that committee.

“It seems the only thing the two parties can agree on is that we shouldn’t even try to get more tax revenue from profitable corporations,” said Steve Wamhoff, Legislative Director at Citizens for Tax Justice. “Corporations’ public filings with the SEC show that even big, profitable corporations pay nowhere near the 35% statutory tax rate and some pay nothing at all, thanks to the loopholes in the tax code. It’s outrageous that lawmakers seek to reduce budget deficits by cutting health care, education, and other public investments all Americans depend on while doing nothing to end this corporate tax avoidance.”

The top five Congressional recipients of contributions since 2005 from the 30 no-tax companies were:

• House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) – $379,850.00
• Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) – $336,5000.00
• House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) – $320,900.00
• Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO and former House Minority Whip 2003-08) – $220,500.00

(All federal legislators from Massachusetts received contributions from the companies, with seven receiving $30,000 or more)

The top five corporate contributors since 2005 are:

• Honeywell – $6,469,277 
• Boeing – $4,049,250
• General Electric – $3,390,850
• Verizon – $3,201,550
• FedEx – $2,595,900

“We need to achieve equality in our campaign finance system. Only then can we hope to successfully fix our government’s undue favor to powerful special interests, which is on full display in our tax code, and amplify the voices of ordinary citizens in the halls of Congress. Our recommendations include passing laws which require disclosure, shareholder approval of corporate campaign expenses, addressing vast inequities in our campaign finance laws,” concluded Domenitz.

#     #     #

See full report at http://www.masspirg.org/reports/map/loopholes-sale

MASSPIRG Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, works to protect consumers and promote good government. We investigate problems, craft solutions, and educate the public.

Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ), founded in 1979, is a 501 (c)(4) public interest research and advocacy organization focusing on federal, state and local tax policies and their impact upon our nation (www.ctj.org).