Will Obama, McCain, and Dodd Return Their AIG Bonuses?
As politicians on both sides of the aisle make populist hay out of the AIG bonuses scandal, ABC News asks: Will Obama, McCain, Dodd Return Contributions From AIG Employees?
AIG employees kept doling out donations to politicians, including presidential candidate Barack Obama, after getting bailed out with federal funds last year, raising the question whether those politicians will now return the money.
AIG executives gave more than $630,000 during the 2008 political cycle even as the company was falling apart.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks campaign finance reports, more than $120,000 of that money was donated after AIG received its first $85 billion in federal bailout funds last September. The company has since received a total of $170 billion in taxpayer cash to prevent its collapse.
Their generosity included more than $23,000 to Obama’s campaign.
Both Obama and Republican presidential candidate John McCain raked in much larger sums from AIG earlier in the year. Obama collected a total of $130,000 from AIG in 2008, while McCain accepted a total of $59,499.
This raises two key questions: Was any bailout money used to make political contributions? And will the politicians who received AIG cash give the money back?
Also see:
Contributions to Obama Campaign Track Bailout Money
Frank says: