Corporations are taking advantage of a legal loophole created by the House ethics committee to allow corporate lobbyists to host lavish parties for groups of House members. The rule by the committee of five Democrats and five Republicans opened the way for huge corporations to essentially underwrite the Democratic and Republican national conventions.
Visa and U.S. Bank will host an event for freshman House Democrats, and AT&T is a sponsor at a party for the conservative “Blue Dog” Democrats in the House, who often vote with Republican lawmakers. Top donors can meet House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House leaders at “hospitality suites” hosted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign.
The politicians and their corporate friends are partying while the working class suffers from inflation, job loss, and a housing crisis. More than 370 parties have been scheduled for the two conventions.
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