ExxonMobil gave big to U.S. Senate panel in charge of Rex Tillerson’s confirmation

Desdemona Despair

By Patricia Murphy
10 January 2017

(The Daily Beast) – Under Rex Tillerson, ExxonMobil PAC gave thousands of dollars to members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who will now be in charge of his confirmation.

When ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday, all of the Republican senators and one of the Democrats considering his nomination as Secretary of State will have something in common—they have received generous campaign contributions from ExxonMobil’s Political Action Committee since Tillerson took over as CEO.

According to campaign finance reports, the ExxonMobil PAC made multiple donations to all of the GOP senators on the committee, totaling between $11,000 and $23,000 each since 2006. The most money went to Sens. Cory Gardner (Colo.) and Johnny Isakson (Ga.), who each received $23,000 for their political campaigns. Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Rob Portman (Ohio) received $20,000 each over the same period. The PAC gave $17,000 to Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.), and $15,000 each to Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), Rand Paul (Ky.), and Jim Risch (Id.). Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) received $11,5000, while newly-elected Sen. Todd Young’s (R-Ind.) campaign brought in $14,500. The lone Democrat on the committee to get a PAC contribution was Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico, who received a one-time $2,500 donation in 2013. [more]

ExxonMobil Gave Big to Senate Panel in Charge of Rex Tillerson’s Confirmation