U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Under the direction of CEO Thomas Donahue, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has become nearly inseparable from the partisan Republican machine. An organization dominated by oil companies, drug manufacturers and corporate polluters, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce raised its yearly budget to $150 million while Republicans controlled the U.S. Congress.
Public Citizen filed a complaint against the Chamber and its affiliate organization the Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) for failing to report taxable spending. Their research showed:
- The Chamber “spent $6 million on judicial races and took credit for winning 15 out of 17 state supreme court contests.” The Chamber also said it would spend “$40 million on political campaigns.” The organizations’ tax returns show no activity, despite the reported spending.
- In 2004 the Chamber and ILR reported only $18 million in spending, but in a memo Donahue claimed they had spent $30 million nationwide.
- The Chamber failed to report certain expenditures, which was confirmed when two separate 501(c) organizations, the American Taxpayers Alliance and Citizens for a Strong Ohio reported receiving Chamber contributions.
The Chamber’s right-wing pro-corporate agenda includes: tax cuts for the rich and businesses, privatizing social security and opposing expansion of the children’s health care insurance plan. The Chamber is a major funder of the effort to derail the Employee Free Choice Act and President Obama’s plan for health care reform.
The Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Foundation
The Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Foundation (WCCF) is a public educational foundation promoting the WMC version of free enterprise.
The WMC Service Corporation
The WMC Service Corporation is a WMC subsidiary. The WMC Service Corporation gives members access to business databases, directories, services, products and materials.
Wisconsin Environmental Working Group
WMC’s Environmental Working Group is an organization that proactively advances corporate interests in environmental policy. The group says that it provides “complete and reliable information to state policymakers” on environmental issues. The group sponsors the annual Business Friend of the Environment awards program and environmental speakers’ bureau for Wisconsin schools. It also provides speakers on corporate interests in environmental policy. WMC lists senior staffers Scott Manley and Jeff Schoepke as directors of their Environmental Working group.
Wisconsin Chemical Industry Council
The Wisconsin Chemical Industry Council is described on the WMC website as an organization concerned with “serving the needs of the chemical industry.” The Director of this group is WMC senior staffer Jeff Schoepke.
