AT&T enriches lawmakers' pet charities

AT&T has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past several years to charities affiliated with top lawmakers — several of whom oversee telecom policy — as part of a broader effort by the company to win favor on Capitol Hill.

These relationships, which cross party lines in both chambers, could prove valuable for the Dallas-based telecom giant as it seeks federal approval of its $39 billion merger with T-Mobile. The resulting company would be by far the largest wireless provider in the United States. AT&T’s money has flowed to charities connected to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV); Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MI), the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee; and Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the No. 3 House Democrat. Mignon Clyburn, his daughter, is a member of the Federal Communications Commission. Rep Clyburn said he “does not discuss the business of the FCC with my daughter Mignon.” While the charitable donations are legal and must be publicly disclosed, watchdog groups have criticized such gifts as a loophole that allows big companies to influence lawmakers by pumping money into their personal charities.