Government: Corporations Donate in Honor of Lawmakers to Win Favors

Though scrutiny of ethics violations and conflicts of interest would seem to be at a high in Washington right now, nearly a dozen current or former lawmakers have university endowments that are financed with help from corporations seeking to win their favor, reported The New York Times.

It's not the same thing as a direct campaign requirement — or, for that matter, a Caribbean vacation — but critics and watchdog groups told the Times it's just another, “less visible” way for corporations to curry favor with lawmakers.

For instance, as we've noted, Rep. Charles Rangel, the New York Democrat and former head of the House Ways and Means Committee, had one such endowment in his honor and sent letters on Congressional letterhead to companies with business before his committee in order to solicit donations in his honor. Rangel will soon face a public trial before the House Ethics Committee.

The Times pointed out that Rangel was more explicit about linking his Congressional office to the endowments, while other lawmakers have been more careful. But they'll still make occasional mention of the endowments — announcing their creation or thanking donors — while in office.

For more, see Corporations Donate in Honor of Lawmakers to Win Favors: More in Money and Politics by Marian Wang, August 6, 2010, at ProPublica.