Facebook's DC Presence

Sunlight Foundation Blog

05/17/12 @ 12:18pm

Facebook, which has set off a frenzy of market speculation with its plans go public as early as Friday, isn't just raising its profile on Wall Street. As the social networking giant prepares for its initial stock offering, Sunlight decided to take a look at how Facebook is doing when it comes to political networking. Our finding: The company with the famously hoodied CEO is beginning to grow up, at least in the ways of Washington.

In the first quarter of this year, Facebook spent $650,000 lobbying Congress, according to data from Sunlight Foundation's Influence Explorer, the most the company has ever recorded. Facebook has not only grown as a lobbying presence, however. The company is also becoming a more active campaign financier.

Stealthy Wealthy: Jerry Perenchio

Reporting

05/14/12 @ 12:50pm

It may be easier to get the famously closemouthed mega-donor Jerry Perenchio to open his checkbook than to get him to talk to a reporter. The octogenerian former chairman of Univision and his wife Margaret are major players in this year's election, having underwritten American Crossroads to the tune of $2 million so far. Perenchio also gave to Restore America, the Super PAC that supports Mitt Romney, and $100,000 to the super PAC that supported Jon Huntsman's now-defunct presidential campaign.

That's just the latest in the more than $50 million Perenchio has poured into political activities stretching back decades, mostly to conservative candidates and causes, and have contributed many millions more through their charity.

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