Why has Republican congressional candidate, Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, received contributions from Rep. Joe Barton's PAC, the Texas Freedom Fund?
According to Sourcewatch, Joe Barton's PAC is called Texas Freedom Fund. You do remember Rep. Joe Barton's apology to the BP CEO? Sourcewatch has the text:
"I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday," said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) during a hearing on Thursday morning with BP's CEO Tony Hayward." I think it is a tragedy in the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown -- in this case a $20 billion shakedown -- with the attorney general of the United States, who is legitimately conducting a criminal investigation and has every right to do so to protect the American people, participating in what amounts to a $20 billion slush fund that's unprecedented in our nation's history, which has no legal standing, which I think sets a terrible precedent for our nation's future. I'm only speaking for myself. I'm not speaking for anyone else, but I apologize," Barton added. "I do not want to live in a county where anytime a citizen or a corporation does something that is legitimately wrong, [it is] subject to some sort of political pressure that, again, in my words, amounts to a shakedown." [1]
Source Watch provides this information:
...Joe Barton has voted for Big Oil Companies 100% of the time based on important oil-related bills. These include Iraq War Funding, Cutting Oil Subsides, Clean Energy, and Climate Studies.....
.....In the 2007-2008 period of the 110th Congress, Joe Barton has accepted $196,040 from oil companies and $135,549 of those dollars were from industry political action committees. In addition to that, he has accepted $834,386 from oil companies between 2000 and 2007. Also, he has accepted $121,050 from the coal industry, and $119,800 of those dollars were from industry PACS....
Joe Barton's PAC, Texas Freedom Fund, has very generously contributed to the Stivers campaign. The FEC reports that Stivers received $1,000 on 3/4/08,
$1,500 on 6/27/08, $2,000 on 7/25/08, and $1,000 on 3/3/10 from Barton's Texas Freedom Fund. Stivers must be just like Barton------ pro- big oil, anti-environment, pro-business.
We know that Stivers is a BP stockholder. Stivers also noted that he doesn't believe in global warming (see 912 group survey.)
Over the years, other Ohio Republicans have also gotten political contributions from the Texas Freedom Fund. The list includes Bob Ney ($5000 in 2005), Pat Tiberi ($2000 in 2000, $1000 in 2009), Jean Schmidt ($5000 in 2006, $2500 in 2008), Steve Chabot ($3000 in 2006, $3904 in 2006, $2000 in 2007, $2500 in 2008, $5000 in 2009, $1000 in 2010), Steve LaTourette ($2500 in 2004), Bob Latta ($2000 in 2007).
We are known by the company we keep.