Stefan Mileschin

American "democracy" at work

The members of the House and Senate committees that will quiz Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about user privacy protection next week are some of the biggest recipients of campaign contributions from Facebook employees.

According to USA Today, the congressional panel that got the most Facebook contributions is the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which announced Wednesday morning it would question Zuckerberg on April 11.

Members of the committee, whose jurisdiction gives it regulatory power over Internet companies, received nearly $381,000 in contributions tied to Facebook since 2007, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The centre is a non-partisan, non-profit group that compiles and analyses disclosures made to the Federal Election Commission.

The second highest total, $369,000, went to members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which announced later that it would have a joint hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee to question Zuckerberg on Tuesday. Judiciary Committee members have received $235,000 in Facebook contributions.

On the House committee, Republicans got roughly twice as much as Democrats, counter to the broader trend in Facebook campaign gifts. Of the $7 million in contributions to all federal candidates tied to the Facebook, Democrats got 65 percent to Republicans' 33 percent.

Of the 55 members on the Energy and Commerce Committee this year, all but nine have received Facebook contributions in the past decade. The average Republican got $6,800, while the average Democrat got $6,750.

Committee Chairman Greg Walden received $27,000, while Frank Pallone of New Jersey got $7,000.

Given the amount of cash that has been given to US politicians, it is no surprise why Zuckerburg did not want to be quizzed by UK politicians. After all most of them do not owe him a favour.

https://fudzilla.com/news/46004-most...-been-paid-off