NEWS

Intelligence Contractors Give Millions to Lawmakers Overseeing Government Surveillance

admin | December 07, 2013

In response to documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward J. Snowden, the congressional committees in charge of overseeing the government's intelligence operations have come to the defense of the surveillance and data collection programs, and the agencies that administer them. The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence have rejected attempts to reform the programs while advancing legislation to bolster their legal status and providing a funding boost to the National Security Agency (NSA) to protect their secrecy.

The U.S. intelligence budget for 2013 is $52.6 billion. According to the Washington Post, "top secret spending" is divided into four main spending categories: data collection, data analysis, management, facilities and support, and data processing and exploitation. Seventy percent of the intelligence budget is used to pay private contractors. Several of the companies receiving intelligence contracts are major donors to members of the intelligence committees, including L-3 Communications, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Honeywell International.

Data: MapLight analysis of campaign contributions from political action committees (PACs) and individuals from the top 20 intelligence services contractors working with the Department of Defense, ranked by total value of contracts received, to members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Data source: Federal Election Commission from January 1, 2005 - October 4, 2013. Department of Defense intelligence services contracts source: USASpending (contract totals as of September 26, 2013)

In total, members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence have received $3.7 million from top intelligence services contractors since January 1, 2005.





Members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence from Maryland -- home of NSA headquarters -- led the committees in money received from top intelligence contractors. Representative C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger, D-Md., is the largest recipient, having received $363,600 since January 1, 2005. Senator Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., is the second largest recipient, having received $210,150.





Republican members of House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence have received $1.86 million since January 1, 2005, while Democrat members have received $1.82 million over the same time period.





Members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence have received $2.2 million since January 1, 2005 from top intelligence services contractors, while members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence have received $1.5 million.





Lockheed Martin has given $798,910 to members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence since January 1, 2005, more than any of the other top 20 intelligence service contractors. Northrop Grumman has given $753,101, the second highest amount, and Honeywell has given $714,913, the third highest amount.

TOP 20 INTELLIGENCE SERVICES CONTRACTORS

CONTRIBUTIONS TO CONGRESSIONAL INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEES

Rank

(by total

value of contracts) Top 20 Intelligence Services Contractors

Contributions to House Permanent Select Committee

on Intelligence Contributions to Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Total Contributions to Intelligence Committee Members 1. *L-3 Communications $156,995 $81,150 $238,145 2. Lockheed Martin $478,660 $320,250 $798,910 3. CACI International - $8,350 $8,350 4. GTCR Golder Rauner L.L.C. - - - 5. SAIC Inc. (Leidos) $139,585 $160,500 $300,085 6. Mission Essential - $500 $500 7. Booz Allen Hamilton $1,200 $11,200 $12,400 8. Griffon Corp. $5,000 - $5,000 9. SOS International - - - 10. Kingfisher Systems - - - 11. Battelle Memorial Institute $3,300 $1,250 $4,550 12. Northrop Grumman $420,601 $332,500 $753,101 13. Jorge Scientific Corp. - - - 14. Honeywell International $455,614 $259,299 $714,913 15. ManTech International $62,200 $27,800 $90,000 16. General Dynamics $446,150 $230,000 $676,150 17. Chenega Corp. - $1,997 $1,997 18. Johns Hopkins University $12,950 $67,300 $80,250 19. New World Solutions - - - 20. AECOM Tech Corp. $9,800 $12,500 $22,300 Grand Total $2,192,055 $1,514,596 $3,706,651

*Contract totals were combined for L-3 Communications Holdings Inc., L-3 National Security Solutions Inc. and L-3 Communications Corporation. Department of Defense intelligence services contracts source: USASpending (contract totals as of September 26, 2013)

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