NewsObama’s $71,000 from BP staff By Campbell Gunn In the donation period ending in 2008, Obama took $71,051, and Clinton $6700 from BP staff in donations. And three out of the four senators who demanded a meeting with David Cameron last week over Lockerbie and the BP involvement into the release of Abdelbaset al Megrahi, have taken political donations from a BP staff organisation, leading to accusations of hypocrisy. Senator Robert Menendez, who is chairing this week’s Senate investigation into BP’s involvement in the release of the Lockerbie bomber, received $2000 from the oil giant’s staff committee. In the donation cycle ending this year, two of the other senators from New York and New Jersey, where many of the bombing victims came from, and who are pressing for an investigation into the bomber’s release — Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer — received $750 and $250 each in donations. Donations The donations don’t come from the company itself but from their Political Action Committee — groups of individuals within BP who wish to donate to a particular politician or party. A number of major oil companies now have drilling interests in Libya — Amerada Hess, Marathon Oil, Royal Dutch Shell, Occidental Petroleum and ConocoPhillips. In 2010 employees from ConocoPhillips are registered as having made donations to House Democrats of $36,500, Senate Democrats of $17,000. Marathon Oil staff gave House Democrats $28,500, Senate Democrats $22,500. Occidental Petroleum workers made donations to House Democrats of $43,000, and Senate Democrats $14,000. Royal Dutch Shell staff gave Barack Obama $117,946, and Hillary Clinton $20,348. Condemned SNP MSP Michael Matheson condemned the US politicians for accepting the cash. “It’s astonishing that after all the rhetoric and talk of BP funds as ‘blood money’ that those Senators attacking BP have benefited from their donations,” he said. “It exposes some of the sheer political opportunism currently being played out over the tragic events at Lockerbie and in the Gulf. “It is hypocritical of these senators, when Kenny MacAskill and Alex Salmond have been clear no discussions or lobbying of the Scottish Government by BP took place.” A spokesman for BP said it was not their policy to make political donations and added, “The donations come from the Political Action Committee. “They come under BP’s name, but are from employees, though they’re identified as coming from the company.” We contacted the White House for a comment, but have yet to receive a reply. |
© All copyright D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd., 2010 |
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