Over at Wired‘s Threat Level blog, Ryan Singel takes a look at how generous the telecommunication companies have been to Senate intelligence committee Chair Jay Rockefeller (D-WV). As Singel notes, Rockefeller had received very little in contributions from the telecoms through last year. But that “changed around the same time that the companies began lobbying Congress to grant them retroactive immunity from lawsuits seeking billions for their alleged participation in secret, warrantless surveillance programs that targeted Americans.”
He provides a vivid illustration:
Last month, Newsweek reported on the power lobbyists who’ve been working hard for the telcos to get an immunity provision.