Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) is sworn in at his confirmation hearing on January 12, 2017 as Donald Trump’s choice for the director of the CIA. Pompeo is now Trump’s choice for secretary of state. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images. By Ken Klippenstein As the Senate considers whether to confirm CIA Director Mike Pompeo as President Trump’s secretary of state, new information …
Former Senior Crapo Staffer Lobbied Congress on Bank Bill for Huge Financial Institutions
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) during a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on September 23, 2009. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images. The Wall Street bull in New York, New York. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images. By Alex Kotch New first quarter lobbying reports reveal that a former senior staffer of Sen. Mike Crapo, the primary sponsor of the recent banking bill …
Controversial Business Interests Bankroll Republicans in State Elections
Demonstrators protest in NYC on June 5, 2014 against campaign contributions by the billionaire Koch brothers. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images. By Alex Kotch As election season heats up, business interests that have come under fire recently are funding Republican political groups that pour money into state-level elections. New quarterly financial documents reviewed by TYT show that Koch Industries, the National …
Monsanto-Linked Former Lobbyist Likely to Become Key Commodities Regulator
Advanced seed chipping machines inside Monsanto agribusiness headquarters in St. Louis, Mo. Photograph by Brent Stirton/Getty Images. By Alex Kotch President Donald Trump’s pick to help lead a key financial regulatory agency is married to the top lobbyist for Monsanto—a company over which she will have oversight—and until last year did lobbying work for an industry she will also oversee, federal …
Pentagon Report Acknowledges U.S. Contractors In Syria
President Trump is flanked by National Security Advisor John Bolton while receiving a briefing from senior military leaders regarding Syria on April 9, 2018, in Washington, D.C. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images. By Michael Tracey A newly released Defense Department report acknowledges—apparently for the first time under the Trump administration—the presence of U.S. military contractors in Syria. The report comes …
Sinclair Stations Pushed Bill That Its Top Investor Lobbied For
By Jonathan Larsen In 2017, Bank of New York Mellon (BK) spent $320,000 on lobbying that included pursuit of the tax cuts ultimately passed in December, lobbying disclosure forms show. Bank of New York Mellon, also known as BNY Mellon, ramped up its tax lobbying in the fourth quarter, as the tax battle heated up. At the same time, one …
DCCC Scores Cash From Health Insurance Lobbyist as It Advises Candidates Against Medicare For All
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) at a health care rally in San Francisco, California on September 22, 2017. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images. By Alex Kotch In April 2017, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) wanted to find out the best way for its candidates to address the topic of health care, so it hired two research firms to conduct internal …