Watchdog Blasts Google Event
A watchdog group is calling on seven senators not to attend an event at Google's headquarters that the organization says is a fundraiser masquerading as a policy conference. Consumer Watchdog sent a letter Wednesday to the seven Democratic senators set to participate in the National Innovation Conference Friday and Saturday sponsored by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Those listed as attending include: Sens. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., Tom Carper, D-Del., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Mark Warner, D-Va., as well as President Obama's pollster, Joel Benenson, according to a DSCC brochure obtained by Consumer Watchdog.
The DSCC asks those wishing to participate as "hosts" to pay $30,400, which will include tickets to several events related to the conference, while "sponsors" are asked to contribute $10,000 for access to some of the events and for $5,000 "guests" will be able to attend the panel sessions and receive breakfast and lunch. Consumer Watchdog said there will be three panel sessions where the senators are scheduled to speak on such issues as innovation and technology, health care and technology, and energy and the environment.
"This fundraising forum raises the specter of pay-to-play politics when so many issues of concern to Google and the rest of the Silicon Valley technology community are on the table," said the letter signed by Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court and the group's consumer advocate, John Simpson. Noting that Democrats passed the "strongest ethics and lobbying reform" rules when they came to power, DSCC spokesman Eric Schultz said "all of our fundraising is fully transparent and follows the law."
The Democrats are not alone in mixing policy and politics. The National Republican Senatorial Committee will be hosting a similar fundraising event in Washington later this month featuring several Republican senators to discuss key policy issues. It also is scheduled to include officials from Google and Facebook to discuss technology matters. Simpson, who was unaware of the NRSC event, said his group opposes all events like this that "give special access to people making policy."
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