Lobbyists Abound on the Board of The Black Caucus PAC

[zentrum]

Last edited Sat Feb 13, 2016, 11:54 PM - Edit history (1)

Here’s some shocking information from an article by Lee Fang, 2/11/16 on The Intercept.
https://theintercept.com/2016/02/11/congressional-black-caucus-hillary/

Hillary Clinton's Congressional Black Caucus PAC Endorsement Approved by Board Awash in Lobbyists.

Now, who might these Lobbyists be? Here’s a glimpse:

Purdue Pharma, maker of the highly addictive opioid OxyContin (which Fang observes spurred the recent heroin epidemic).

Navient, the student loan giant. (Do we think this is why Bernie’s free public college for all is considered pie in the sky?)

Several lobbyists from the Tobacco industry.

A man who served for years as a lobbyist to Corrections Corporation of America (Wow).

A former Clinton aide who now lobbies for Wal-Mart.

So then I (not speaking for Fang here) googled the Board Members of the CBC PAC Foundation and got an eyeful.

Here's a partial list of the mega-creepy-industries listed on their home page, laced in among regular CBC Congress members.

Ford Motor Company
State Farm Insurance
The CocaCola Company
Johnson & Johnson
Toyota Motor Sales
Prudential Insurance
Glaxol Klein Smith Pharma
Exxon
Viacom
Best Buy

Why on earth do we suppose these giant corporations are having such a voice in the board room of the CBC PAC?

Fang says:

As they made their announcement, Congressional Black Caucus PAC officials downplayed Bernie Sanders’ proposals for poverty reduction and tuition-free college as unrealistic, while touting Clinton as a bold leader…. The caucus itself, while presenting itself as a champion of progressive causes, has a mixed legislative record. As some reporters have noted, Wall Street and corporate money has flowed to the CBC, through its PAC and nonprofit arms, while a number of CBC members have taken a leading role working with Republicans to chip away at the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.

The announcement of their endorsement was made at the (effing!) DNC Headquarters .

But as we’ve all learned by now, the Congressional Black Caucus PAC is not the same thing as the Congressional Black Caucus, and as the great Keith Ellison, CBC member, tweeted:

@keithellison Cong'l Black Caucus (CBC) has NOT endorsed in presidential. Separate CBCPAC endorsed withOUT input from CBC membership, including me.

@keithellison: endorsements should be the product of a fair open process. Didn’t happen.

So keep your eye on the money and draw your own conclusions.

[HooptieWagon]

1. Be fair...Headline should read Black Caucus PAC

I don't think the Black Caucus needs to be besmirched by the actions of the lobbyists on the board of the PAC

[zentrum]

2. Okay. I'll do that.

I thought the word "Board" would cover it. Will fix to avoid confusion.