Bacon's Rebellion

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Amazon Campaign Contributions: $75,000 and Counting

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James A. Bacon
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Source: Virginia Public Access Project

Speaking of alien overlords (see previous post)… I believe I’m correct in saying that Bacon’s Rebellion’s Steve Haner was the first pundit to note that if you like Amazon as a major player in Virginia’s economy, you’d better get accustomed to Amazon as a major player in Virginia politics. Now comes the Washington Business Journal noting that the Seattle-based technology giant and its political action committee have reported $75,000 in contributions to major political groups in Virginia.

Amazon has spread its money pretty evenly between Democrats and Republicans. I have posted the Virginia Public Access Project summary above.

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4 responses to “Amazon Campaign Contributions: $75,000 and Counting”

  1. Steve Haner Avatar
    Steve Haner

    This indicates they will be sponsoring and sending people to the various partisan caucus gatherings on the spring schedule (the Homestead, Tides Inn), where the legislators and lobbyists all gather as a clan to linger over golf and cocktails and enjoy a little plausible deniability about who gets which dollars….’Tis the Virginia Way. The House R’s start their hoorah at the Homestead Sunday. I always enjoyed it, although being around that many armed Democrats at the shooting range during their party always had me wide awake.

    I’d call that report dipping the toe….the dive into the deep end may follow by November.

    Another VPAP link to keep monitoring. Although looking at my own Vanguard funds once you get to a certain level in large cap mutual funds or ETFs is pretty hard not to have high values in the FANG stocks.

    https://www.vpap.org/seis/stockholders/110961-amazon/

  2. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    The “Virginia Way” as practiced by other corporations including Dominion. If we’re gonna have this “free speech”, then I’d certainly like to have Amazon and Facebook and others weigh in with competing dollars on what kind of utility model we should be pursuing rather than just Dominion’s preferred model.

    A big question is – is the Dominion utility model – one that attracts and supports 21st century economy companies and if it is not – then how are
    those loyalists in the GA convinced otherwise?

    It’s downright ridiculous that the party that doesn’t like the govt picking winners and losers – to this point -when it comes to energy – is doing just that.

  3. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    Just out of curiosity, I wonder if Amazon will use in-house lobbyists or turn to the local folks–McGuire Woods, Reed Smith, Williams Mullens, or maybe Ben Dendy. Any insights?

  4. Steve Haner Avatar
    Steve Haner

    They’ve been using SpottsFain in recent years and, in the past, Jeff Gregson. Don’t see Jeff listed currently. They have several employees registered to lobby, as well. Much of the work on the development plan, incentives etc will not be lobbying and not covered by those disclosure rules.

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