Fat Cat Favors: With Mitch, you apparently get what you pay for. Lobbyists and special interest groups always have a friend in Mitch who, along with his wife, returns the favor to powerful business supporters.
- Gordon Hunter Bates, Mitch’s former staffer turned lobbyist, has repeatedly received earmarks and valuable goodies from Mitch for his clients. For example, Mitch secured nearly $45 million in federal funds benefiting four of Bates’ clients, the same folks who gave about $120,000 to Mitch in campaign contributions.
- The Food Marketing Institute, an interest group representing grocery stores among other groups, rewarded Mitch with $13,000 in campaign contributions while he and Elaine tag-teamed on dismantling the Clinton-era ergonomics safety rules, replacing them with “voluntary guidelines.”
- The mining industry has given $375,000 to Mitch’s Senate campaigns, including $200,000 from big coal since Elaine became Secretary of Labor. In fact, Mitch received $17,000 from a company whose executives were appointed by Elaine to serve in prominent posts at the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
