Interest Groups and Politicians' Charities

In our chapter on interest groups, we discuss how charitable giving can be a shrewd way to a lawmaker's heart (pp. 287-288). The New York Times reports that the practice persists:

A review by The New York Times of federal tax records and House and Senate disclosure reports found at least two dozen charities that lawmakers or their families helped create or run that routinely accept donations from businesses seeking to influence them. The sponsors — AT&T, Chevron, General Dynamics, Morgan Stanley, Eli Lilly and dozens of others — contribute millions of dollars annually in gifts ranging from token amounts to a check for $5 million.