Most common names contributed the FT 61 contributed to:
Rep. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts, senior democrat of the house
telecommunications committee; engineered 70 billion dollar giveaway
to Disney-Time Warner for digital TV, controls bids for undersea
telecom communications, subsidizes telecom/ communications industry),
Former Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA-defeated 2002),
Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana, was chair of Communications
subcommittee of Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Committee until Jeffords split the party, member, Energy and Natural
Resources Committee);
Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Oregon, also on Commerce and Energy Committees;
Don Nickles, Minority Whip, Chair (pre-Jeffords) of Energy
Subcommittee of Energy and Natural Resources Committee….
Everyone from Enron gave to W. in March-April '99. Interestingly,
very few hedged their bets with anyone other than Gore or Bush, even
though there was a lot of money flying around. One donation came to
McCain in '99. Bradley got two contributions – both from supporters
who contributed to no other candidate – so none of the hedge-your-bet
players thought the chance was worth $1000. Even the smattering of
McCain 2000 contributions seem to stem from him being Chair of the
Senate Commerce Committee. So these guys had the primaries in the
bag in '99.
Sen. Spence Abraham (R-Michigan) was the leading recipient from Enron
in 2000. He lost to Debbie Stabinow in 2000 but was appointed Energy
Secretary under Bush.
"There was talk that Kenneth Lay would be named Bush's Secretary of
Energy, but it went to Abraham. According to Mother Jones magazine,
Lay is Bush's top Advisor.
http://www.motherjones.com/web_exclusives/special_reports/mojo_400/76_ lay.html
"Kenneth Lay and other Enron officials interviewed several candidates
to fill vacancies on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which
regulates Enron's main markets. Bush chose two people favored by
Enron and other companies." ("Bush Advisers On Energy Report Ties To
Industry", New York Times, Joseph Kahn, June 3rd, 2001 – Available at
http://www.nci.org/0new/cheney-nyt6301.htm the above is from:
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/corporateprofiles_files/Enron%20-% 20Corporate%20Profile.htm
Sen. Jeff Bingamin (D-New Mexico) was second, becoming chair of the
Energy Committee after the Jeffords switch.
Rep. Larry Combest (D-TX) comes up over and over… not a hometown
Enron congressman.. from Lubbock… Chair of the House Agriculture
Committee.
Public Citizen: "Representatives Larry Combest (R-Texas), Charles
Stenholm (D-Texas) and Senator Phil Gramm (R-Texas) -- all top
recipients of Enron contributions -- played major roles in final
passage of the Enron-supported Commodities Futures Modernization Act
of 2000. The legislation, previously approved by the House and
President Bill Clinton, exempted energy derivative trading (Enron's
main business) from government regulation."
http://www.citizen.org/congress/campaign/legislation/shays- meehan/articles.cfm?ID=6693
Peter Wareing, who spent $3 million in 2000 for the House Texas 7
seat and lost in the primary, then ran in 2002 for the newly formed
31st district (Around Austin.. a short drive from Enron-land), spent
lots of money again and lost the GOP primary again. He is the son-in-
law of oil man Jack Blanton (CEO Ashland Petroleum, major power
player in Houston)…….
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/features/shodge/1272613 Feb. 26, 2002, 7:04PM
Blantons take their places at Dallas and Austin events
By SHELBY HODGE
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
The Jack Blanton family hit the road last week for two special events
enjoying the prestigious Blanton imprimatur.
First stop was Southern Methodist University in Dallas where the
family attended groundbreaking ceremonies Thursday for the new
student services center building to be named after the late Laura Lee
Blanton. This was a project that Blanton and his wife, an SMU
graduate, had been working on for several years before her death in
1999.
Saturday, the family headed to Austin for the inaugural fund-raising
gala benefiting the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art at the University
of Texas. The gala was a sellout with more than 750 guests and
proceeds of $400,000, earmarked for acquisition of artwork.
Austin forces behind the gala were chairs Terri Quinn and Ellen Ray
as well as Lady Bird Johnson, who served as honorary statewide chair.
Donning their tuxedos and gowns were Blanton family members Jack
Blanton, Leslie and Jack Blanton Jr., Eddy and Kelli Blanton,
Elizabeth and Peter Wareing, Billy Wareing, Julie Wareing and Laura
Wareing Wheless and William Wheless.
Congressional Recipients of Contributions from the Financial Times 61: