Hacked Sony Emails Show Major Democrat-Turned-Lobbyist Urging Support for Republicans

As head of the movie industry lobbying group Motion Picture Association of America, Chris Dodd—a former Democratic senator and self-styled champion for working families—urged film executives to financially support Republican campaigns for election to Congress.

“[W]hile loyalty to a person and/or party is admirable,” Dodd wrote in an email that was among those that were hacked from Sony, “we also need to be smarter about being supportive of those who are and will be in positions to make decisions that affect this industry.”

Lee Fang reports at The Intercept:

Dodd listed a number of policy priorities for the industry, from tax credits to intellectual property law, and explained: “We need the capacity to gain and maintain relationships, and with campaigns getting more and more expensive, fundraising does have an impact.”

Dodd in particular encouraged industry executives to donate to Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over intellectual property and copyright issues important to the movie industry. Dodd evidently had to overcome one hurdle, however: Squeamishness about giving money directly to the National Republican Congressional Campaign, whose goal was to increase the GOP House majority. …

Dodd chose not to run for reelection to his Senate seat in 2010, after revelations that he had received a special discount mortgage from Countrywide’s “VIP program.” During his time in Congress, Dodd was a senior member of the Banking Committee, a position that oversaw mortgage lenders.

As he retired, he told the public he would not become a lobbyist — though he soon signed up for the job as the movie industry’s top lobbyist, a gig compensated at over $3.2 million a year.

Read more here.

—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.

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