Two nonpartisan government watchdog groups, Taxpayers for Common Sense and the Center for Responsive Politics, have released a database linking campaign contributions with earmarked spending by lawmakers.
Taxpayers for Common Sense provided data showing more than 20,000 earmarked spending provisions worth more than $35 billion. The Center for Responsive Politics provided data showing $226.8 million in campaign contributions and lobbying expenses.
“At a minimum, earmarks granted to lawmakers’ friends and supporters merit scrutiny and indicate potential conflicts of interest,” said Shelia Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Politics.
The full list is here.
The data for John Doolittle for fiscal years 2008 and 2009 is here.
Tom McClintock, who just began his term in November, is not included in report.
It did, however, list some other information, such as the top campaign contributors. The information is here.
Interesting report on McClintock: His ratio of individual donations to PAC donation is a stunning 10 to 1. Not just the number of contributors, but the actual dollar amounts given. Wonder how many other members of Congress come close to this?
John
It’s going to be tough for Tom McClintock to make that list, since he refuses to do earmarks, much to the chagrin of many local officials I know.
What he will do is assist local governments to compete nationally for funds in the competitive appropriations process…which I think is entirely appropriate.
Good to know Aaron. If you check the list, one of John’s earmarks was for Sierra College.
That is how John’s office handled the $300,000 they helped secure for the groundbreaking Sierra College mechatronics program.
Of course, I’m not sure why the earmark process was used since that spending could easily have carried the day in the open competitive appropriations process…we do have the ONLY integrated mechatronics program west of the Mississippi river!