

Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia) is reportedly steering the secretive Senate Intelligence Committee to give retroactive immunity to telecoms that helped the government secretly spy on Americans.

He has also recently benefited from some interesting political contributions.

Top Verizon executives, including CEO Ivan Seidenberg and President Dennis Strigl, wrote personal checks to Rockefeller totaling $23,500 in March, 2007. Prior to that apparently coordinated flurry of 29 donations, only one of those executives had ever donated to Rockefeller (at least while working for Verizon).

In fact, prior to 2007, contributions to Rockefeller from company executives at AT&T and Verizon were mostly non-existent.

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.

The Spring ’07 checks represent 86 percent of money donated to Rockefeller by Verizon employees since at least 2001.

AT&T executives discovered a fondness for Rockefeller just a month after Verizon execs did and over a three-month span, collectively made donations totaling $19,350.

AT&T Vice President Fred McCallum began the giving spree in May with a $500 donation. 22 other AT&T high fliers soon followed with their own checks.

Prior to that burst of generosity, the only AT&T employee donation to Rockefeller was a $300 contribution in 2001. That supporter did not identify herself as a company executive.

When asked about the contributions, an AT&T spokesman told THREAT LEVEL: "AT&T employees regularly and voluntarily participate in the political process with their own funds."

Both companies are being sued for allegedly turning over billions of calling records to the government, while AT&T is also accused of letting the National Security Agency wiretap phone calls and its internet backbone. A federal judge in California allowed the suits regarding the eavesdropping to continue despite the government’s attempt to have the suits thrown out on the grounds they will endanger national security. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reviewed that decision in August. The judges seemed reluctant to toss the cases, but have yet to issue a ruling.

On Thursday evening, the Rockefeller-led Senate Intelligence Committee is marking up a bill to re-amend the nation’s spy laws. While the text of the bill has not yet been released, the bill reportedly includes a way for the telecoms to escape the litigation against them.

Rockefeller’s commitment to getting the telecoms out of court surprises some who remember that Rockefeller was originally disturbed enough about the secret spying programs that he hand-wrote a letter to Dick Cheney in 2003, expressing his concerns about the program’s legality.

In a fairly stunning related news, Democratic Senator Chris Dodd went all in with his political capital Thursday, announcing he would unilaterally put a hold on the bill, which would stop the bill from being voted on.

Representatives for Verizon and Rockefeller did not respond to requests for comment.

The contributions and the following tables were found thanks to OpenSecrets.org.

UPDATE: Reader Theo writes in to say why the money, though tiny in comparison to Rockefeller’s fortune, is not negligible.

Rockefeller is believed to have a personal fortune over $100 million. He spent $12 million of personal funds on his first Senate campaign. (http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-3521561.html) However "in recent campaigns, he has downplayed his personal wealth in one of the nation’s poorest states. ‘I will not spend one single dime of any money that I have,’ he said in 2002. ‘So that I if I don’t raise money, I won’t spend money. I am on exactly the same playing field, so to speak, with anybody else who runs for office.’" AP He’s up for election in 2008. The cost of Senate races has increased several times over the last two decades. With a serious Republican challenger in WV, which Bush won twice, such as Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, he could be forced to raise tens of millions of dollars. That, or break his promise not to use his personal fortune, which wouldn’t play very well in one of the country’s poorest states. So yes, even a Rockefeller has to raise money. And in West Virginia, $50,000 is a lot of money. It’s about 2% of all the money he raised last year. (But I’ll bet he’s slightly more worried about being red-baited for suppurtin’ terrists.)

Verizon Employee Contributions to Senator Jay Rockefeller, in reverse chronological order.





Contributor Occupation Date Amount

PETERSEN, WILLIAM B

GLADWYNE,PA 19035 VERIZON PENNSYLVANIA/PRESIDENT 3/29/2007 $500

KEAM, MARK L

VIENNA,VA 22181 VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS/PRESIDENT 3/28/2007 $650

SPLTZ, JUDITH A

MOUNT KISCO,NY 10549 VERIZON BUSINESS/SENIOR VICE PRESID 3/28/2007 $500

HICKEY, J M

ARLINGTON,VA 22206 VERIZON/VICE PRESIDENT 3/24/2007 $1,000

SEIDENBERG, IVAN

WEST NYACK,NY 10994 VERIZON/CHAIRMAN & CHIEF EXECUTIVE 3/24/2007 $2,300

STRIGL, DENNIS F

PRINCETON,NJ 08540 VERIZON/PRESIDENT & CHIEF OPERATING 3/24/2007 $1,000

LACK, JOHN J

COLLEYVILLE,TX 76034 VERIZON/SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT 3/22/2007 $1,000

YOUNG, STEPHEN P

ATLANTA,GA 30309 VERIZON/VICE PRESIDENT 3/22/2007 $500

BRIGGS, HEATHER K

GREAT FALLS,VA 22066 VERIZON/OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY 3/21/2007 $1,000

ROBERTS, WILLIAM R

CHEVY CHASE,MD 20815 VERIZON/PRESIDENT, MARYLAND 3/21/2007 $500

ROSENZWEIG, DAVID A

HUNTINGTON STATION,NY 11746 VERIZON/VICE PRESIDENT 3/21/2007 $1,000

BROWN, KATHRYN C

OAKTON,VA 22124 VERIZON/SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT 3/19/2007 $1,000

CAVENDISH, HUGH S

CHARLESTON,WV 25314 VERIZON/PRESIDENT, WEST VIRGINIA 3/19/2007 $1,000

LEWIS, ANTHONY A

WASHINGTON,DC 20005 VERIZON/PRESIDENT, WASHINGTON D.C. 3/19/2007 $1,000

MAGUIRE, THOMAS

NORTHPORT,NY 11768 VERIZON/DIRECTOR, FEDERAL PUBLIC AF 3/19/2007 $1,000

PEACE, DAVID L

PORT MURRAY,NJ 07865 VERIZON/ATTORNEY 3/19/2007 $250

SMALL, DAVID J

GLADSTONE,NJ 07934 VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS/SENIOR VICE 3/19/2007 $1,000

TAUKE, THOMAS J

ALEXANDRIA,VA 22304 VERIZON/EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT 3/19/2007 $1,000

GLOVER, MICHAEL E

FALLS CHURCH,VA 22046 VERIZON/ATTORNEY 3/17/2007 $500

MAYER, CHRISTOPHER J

MORRISTOWN,NJ 07960 VERIZON/VICE PRESIDENT 3/17/2007 $300

MITCH, RANDAL S

BETHESDA,MD 20814 VERIZON BUSINESS/ATTORNEY 3/17/2007 $1,000

BRAFMAN, BRUCE J

ENGLEWOOD,NJ 07631 VERIZON/SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT 3/16/2007 $500

TOOHEY, ROBERT A

SHORT HILLS,NJ 07078 VERIZON BUSINESS/SENIOR VICE PRESID 3/16/2007 $500

CREAGER, CHRISTOPHER

DAYTON,MD 21036 VERIZON/SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT 3/15/2007 $1,000

WHITE, JACK H JR

FAIRFAX STATION,VA 22039 VERIZON/ATTORNEY 3/15/2007 $500

LEWIS, JAMES L

ORINDA,CA 94563 VERIZON/VICE PRESIDENT 3/13/2007 $1,000

RABE, ERIC W

HAVERFORD,PA 19041 VERIZON/EXECUTIVE 3/12/2007 $1,000

SAXENA, RAHUL

MENDHAM,NJ 07945 VERIZON/VICE PRESIDENT 3/8/2007 $1,000

CAVENDISH, HUGH S

CHARLESTON,WV 25314 VERIZON-WV 3/31/2005 $1,000

RUDDICK, JOHN R

HURRICANE,WV 25526 VERIZON 9/27/2002 $250

GIVEN, GALE Y

HURRICANE,WV 25526 VERIZON 3/29/2002 $1,000

GIVEN, GALE J

HURRICANE,WV 25526 VERIZON 12/20/2001 $1,000

TURMAN, THOMAS S

BARBOURSVILLE,WV 25504 VERIZON 8/2/2001 $500

AT&T Employee Contributions to Senator Jay Rockefeller, in reverse chronological order





Contributor Occupation Date Amount

SPEARS, RONALD E

NEW CANAAN,CT 06840 AT&T CORPORATION/PRESIDENT 6/28/2007 $1,000

COUGHLIN, CATHERINE M

CHICAGO,IL 60611 AT&T CORPORATION/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF 6/1/2007 $500

DIETZ, RICHARD C

SAN ANTONIO,TX 78257 AT&T CORPORATION/EXECUTIVE 6/1/2007 $500

DREXEL, WILLIAM R

CONCORD,CA 94521 AT&T CORPORATION/SENIOR VICE PRESID 6/1/2007 $500

JACOBY, PETER

MCLEAN,VA 22101 AT&T CORPORATION/VICE PRESIDENT 6/1/2007 $1,000

KAHAN, JAMES S

SAN ANTONIO,TX 78205 AT&T CORPORATION/DIVISIONAL SENIOR 6/1/2007 $500

MONTFORD, JOHN T

SAN ANTONIO,TX 78257 AT&T CORPORATION/SENIOR VICE PRESID 6/1/2007 $1,000

RICE, CHRISTOPHER T

SAN ANTONIO,TX 78258 AT&T CORPORATION/CHIEF TECHNICAL OF 6/1/2007 $250

SHELLEY, JAMES B

SAN ANTONIO,TX 78249 AT&T CORPORATION/SENIOR VICE PRESID 6/1/2007 $500

STANKEY, JOHN T

SAN ANTONIO,TX 78212 AT&T CORPORATION/GROUP PRESIDENT 6/1/2007 $500

VIOLA, MICHAEL J

SAN ANTONIO,TX 78209 AT&T CORPORATION/SENIOR VICE PRESID 6/1/2007 $500

WELDAY, RICHARD

SAN ANTONIO,TX 78230 AT&T CORPORATION/CHIEF MARKETING OF 6/1/2007 $500

JUNELL, WILLIAM H

HOUSTON,TX 77056 AT&T CORPORATION/GROUP PRESIDENT 5/31/2007 $2,300

JUNELL, WILLIAM H

HOUSTON,TX 77056 AT&T CORPORATION/GROUP PRESIDENT 5/31/2007 $2,300

CALLAWAY, JAMES W

SAN ANTONIO,TX 78209 AT&T, INC./SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE PR 5/22/2007 $1,000

ELLIS, JAMES D

SAN ANTONIO,TX 78209 AT&T, INC/SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRE 5/22/2007 $500

MILLER, FORREST E

SAN ANTONIO,TX 78209 AT&T COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION/GRO 5/22/2007 $1,000

SIGMAN, STAN

ATLANTA,GA 30342 AT&T MOBILITY, LLC/PRESIDENT & CEO 5/22/2007 $1,000

TACKER, CAROL L

SAN ANTONIO,TX 78204 AT&T MOBILITY, LLC/VICE PRESIDENT 5/22/2007 $500

WATTS, WAYNE

FAIR OAKS RANCH,TX 78015 AT&T, INC./SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & 5/22/2007 $2,000

WILKINS, RAY

SAN ANTONIO,TX 78209 AT&T, INC./GROUP PRESIDENT 5/22/2007 $500

HARROLSON, JAMES G

ATLANTA,GA 30309 AT&T CORPORATION/ATTORNEY 4/9/2007 $500

MCCALLUM, FRED J JR

MARIETTA,GA 30062 AT&T CORPORATION/VICE PRESIDENT 4/9/2007 $500

BAILEY, KARYN L

CASTLE ROCK,CO 80104 AT&T 9/20/2001 $300

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