Shelby’s Hold Could Help Enrich One Of His Biggest Contributors [View All]

[jefferson_dem]

Shelby’s Hold Could Help Enrich One Of His Biggest Contributors
Center for Public Integrity:

The unusual “blanket hold” placed on Obama administration nominees by Senator Richard Shelby represents an effort to support a firm that has contributed more than $100,000 to the Alabama Republican over the course of his long political career, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis.

Shelby reportedly initiated the blanket hold in an attempt to back a $35 billion tanker contract for Northrop Grumman and EADS; the plane would be built in his state…

The fourth-term Senator has received at least $108,233 in PAC contributions to his political campaigns and leadership PAC from Northrop Grumman’s corporate PACs. This includes contributions, dating back to his first Senate election in 1986, from the company’s political action committee and from the PACs of companies that are now part of Northrop Grumman.

According to the Center analysis, this level of support ranks Northrop Grumman as the seventh most generous institutional supporter over the course of Shelby’s political career.

More from Sam Stein.

The White House and Dems, according to some polls, have not succeeded in making the case to the public that GOP obstructionism represents a perversion of the process. After all, it’s hard to explain the filibuster on a bumper sticker, but something as clear cut as this could make it a bit easier to make the overall case.

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/senate-republicans/shelbys-hold-enriches-one-of-his-biggest-contributors/