Tags
Chamber of Commerce, foreign election tampering, illegal campaign contributions, missouri, Roy Blunt
Via Think Progress, Roy Blunt refuses to comment on the Chamber of Commerce’s alleged illegal fundraising from foreign corporations:
Think Progress also provides the following transcript of the video:
TP: Congressman Blunt? We reported at ThinkProgress yesterday that the Chamber of Commerce is accepting money from foreign corporations and using that same bank account for buying attack ads. If you’re elected to the Senate will you investigate this? Excuse me, Roy Blunt? Sir, the Chamber of Commerce has admitted that it’s accepting foreign money from businesses like the Bahrain Petroleum Company and they’re using that same bank account to run attack ads. Will you investigate the use of foreign money in our election[s]?
TP: Congressman Blunt? Pardon me, Congressman Blunt? Congressman Blunt? [BLUNT takes out cellphone] We reported yesterday at ThinkProgress that the Chamber of Commerce is fundraising from foreign companies, in India and Bahrain and many other places, uh, they’re using that same bank account run attack ads. Are you going to investigate this? […]
STAFFER: Sure you can call the office […] Let me give you a card and you’re welcome to call and uh, we’ll get you what you need. He’s on the phone but we’ll get you what he needs.
TP: Who’s he talking to? He’s not saying anything. Congressman Blunt? Are you sure he’s on the phone – I don’t hear him saying anything.
BLUNT: …And the event went fine. Good. Good. Really? Okay.
TP: Excuse me, Congressman Blunt? I have a membership application that the Chamber of Commerce is distributing in Bahrain asking for funds for the same bank account – the same campaign account – used to run campaign advertisements here in America. Do you have any comment on that?
Background on the illegal contributions allegedly collected by the Chamber can be found here. Think Progress notes that Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) has requested that the FEC launch an investigation into the matter that would require foreign companies to certify the uses to which their contributions have been put. May I just add that I am not at all surprised by the esteemed Rep. Blunt’s non-response?
Update: Do you think Blunt’s skittishness could have anything to do with fears of exciting the same type of donor response described by FiredUp! here?
Update 2: The Huffington Post picks up the foreign donations story and adds an outsourcing angle, while the New York Times brings on the moral opprobrium.