Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), the top congressional recipient of BP-related campaign cash during the last election cycle, has no plans to return contributions from the company responsible for one of the worst environmental disasters to beset her state, her office tells OpenSecrets Blog.

Individuals and employees associated with oil giant BP gave nearly $17,000 to Landrieu’s campaign committee during the 2008 election cycle, according to a Center for Responsive Politics analysis.

The funds were enough to make her the top recipient to raise money from BP that cycle among candidates running for the U.S. House or U.S. Senate. Only then-Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain, both presidential candidates, raised more from BP.

“Senator Landrieu has no plans to return donations from BP’s PAC or BP employees” Landrieu’s communications director Aaron Saunders said in an e-mail message to OpenSecrets Blog.

“Campaign contributions, from energy companies or from environmental groups, have absolutely no impact on Sen. Landrieu’s policy agenda or her response to this unprecedented disaster in the Gulf,” Saunders wrote. “The Senator is proud of the broad coalition she’s built since her first day in the Senate to address the energy and environmental challenges in Louisiana and in the nation. This disaster only makes the effort to promote and save Louisiana’s coast all that more important.”

The environmental disaster off the coast of Louisiana continues to grab headlines almost two weeks after the initial explosion at an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana is presumed to have killed 11 workers before unleashing an underwater oil gusher so massive that officials estimate up to 200,000 gallons a day are leaking out into the Gulf of Mexico.

The leak has created an oil slick more than 30 miles in diameter, and is currently threatening the length of the gulf coast, from Louisiana to the Florida panhandle.

Officials from BP have acknowledged it is unclear how or when the leak will be fixed, but they’ve said it could take months.

BP is no stranger to the political process. The company regularly spends millions of dollars on federal lobbying efforts, including $16 million in 2009. It continued that seven-figure spending into the first quarter of 2010, racking up a $3.53 million lobbying tab.

A roster of BP executives contributed to Landrieu’s campaign in recent years, including the current president of BP’s U.S. operations, Lamar McKay.

According to campaign finance reports, McKay donated $1,000 to the senator’s 2008 re-election in a single donation given in November 2007.

McKay’s predecessor is also on record for contributing to Landrieu’s re-election. Robert A. Malone, who stepped as president in early 2009 to make way for McKay, gave $2,300 to Landrieu in a single donation that was filed just three days before McKay’s.

Other BP executives to donate to Landrieu’s campaign include Margaret Hudson, a BP America vice president ($1,100); and Benjamin Cannon, BP America’s federal affairs director ($2,300).



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