Re:Google May Be Stealing Mobile Traffic
by ocdtrekkie on Monday October 17, 2016 @05:09PM
(#12729795)
The reason that donors are required to list their employer on the donation form is because of how much influence that employer has on the employee/donor.
You may note that I said to avoid voting for candidates with a LARGE amount of contribution from Google. Because this isn't about $250, but, for instance, about the $58,000 Googlers have given to Ro Khanna, which pretty much ensures Ro would never vote against Google's interests if elected.
When you see campaign contributions listed "from" Alphabet, that money is actually all coming from individuals.
Employees of Alphabet who give more than $200 are required to list their employer on the donation form. The campaigns then submit that data to the FEC, which makes it public, which is where OpenSecrets gets it. So even if the Google janitor gives $250 to Clinton, OpenSecrets will list that as coming "from" Alphabet.
OpenSecrets also shows money that went to candidates from political action committees (PACs). But any money that passes through a PAC to a candidate must originate from an individual as well. The corporation can only pay administrative fees, like providing an office and Internet connection.