Candice Bernd — Dark Money and the US Chamber of Commerce: Majority of Donations Given by Just 64 Entities

A new report by Public Citizen, called "The Gilded Chamber," analyzes the US Chamber of Commerce's 2012 tax forms and found that more than half of all contributions to the Chamber came from just 64 donors in 2012.

The report looks at 1,619 contributions listed on Form 990 tax return documents, required for nonprofits to report contributions of more than $5000 to the IRS, by the Chamber and its partner, the US Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR). The ILR works in conjunction with the Chamber for legal reforms that largely favor business and against consumer-access to the courts. Only a few of the organization's overall donors make up the majority of their contributions, according to the report....

The Chamber characterizes itself as representing "the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions. Our members range from mom-and-pop shops and local chambers to leading industry associations and large corporations." But this appears to be in stark contrast to what the organization's funding actually says about the interests that hold sway over the Chamber.

But it's still hard to say exactly what the interests of these large corporations and organizations are beyond generalizations because the donor's identities remain unknown.

Truthout | News Analysis
Dark Money and the US Chamber of Commerce: Majority of Donations Given by Just 64 Entities
Candice Bernd