Microsoft Corporation's PAC funded 36 members of Congress. 12 of them are connected to the company in two more ways.
Microsoft Corporation — money, a committee seat, and the stock
First, the money: Microsoft's PAC spread $349K across 36 members' campaigns.
Then the access: 12 of those funded members — Curtis, McCaul, Lofgren and 9 others — sit on committees including Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Homeland Security, with jurisdiction over technology.
Technology is Microsoft's industry — and that committee is where its rules, funding, and oversight get written.
And the market: those same 12 members also traded MSFT — the stock of the company funding their campaigns.
The 12 members
| Member | PAC $ | Gifts | Committee | Trades |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John CurtisR-UT | $20k | 9 | Commerce, Science, and Transportation | 8 |
| Michael McCaulR-TX | $18k | 8 | Homeland Security | 104 |
| Zoe LofgrenD-CA | $17k | 10 | Science, Space, and Technology | 2 |
| Christopher CoonsD-DE | $10k | 2 | Judiciary | 1 |
| Jerry MoranR-KS | $10k | 4 | Commerce, Science, and Transportation | 4 |
| Diana HarshbargerR-TN | $9k | 5 | Energy and Commerce | 3 |
| Katie BrittR-AL | $6k | 2 | Judiciary | 1 |
| Steve CohenD-TN | $6k | 6 | Judiciary | 2 |
| Shelley CapitoR-WV | $5k | 1 | Commerce, Science, and Transportation | 36 |
| Deborah RossD-NC | $3k | 3 | Science, Space, and Technology | 8 |
| George WhitesidesD-CA | $2k | 2 | Science, Space, and Technology | 1 |
| Lizzie FletcherD-TX | $1k | 1 | Energy and Commerce | 4 |
The other 24 also took PAC money and disclosed MSFT trades — but hold no current seat on a committee overseeing technology.
PAC contributions are legal and disclosed. This surfaces co-occurrence of corporate donations, lobbying, and personal stock trades — not evidence of coordination or quid pro quo.
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