The struggle continues, comrades! In the latest skirmish for the soul of the United States of America, some of our biggest banks have announced that they “are pausing all political donations.” My own take is that banks want to be seen “helping” and then will resume doing what they always do. Bankers gonna bank, you know?
But this is an important issue for political moderates, progressives, and reformers of all stripes and I feel we should bite down on this and never let go. It has already been shown that elite interests are outweighing voter interests when it comes to influence over public policy. It has also been shown, however, that mass movement organizing and de-platforming certainly work in gaining leverage over these corporations. So that is where we direct our work. In the analysis below, we are only displaying political giving relationships that sum to ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) or greater.
The most important thing that this cursory analysis shows is that if you were a person and you managed your relationships with this level of incoherence and casual disregard for your surroundings (and the people in it), you would be branded a psychopath and you would not be truly welcome at anyone’s social occasions. The data below are all from filings submitted in CY 2020.
And so our first target is Goldman Sachs, who give via THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (C00350744) of Washington, DC. Using Federal Surveillance by Competitive Advantage Research, we identified when FEC-regulated committees report their own receipts of funds from this target committee. Here is an idea of just how politically schizophrenic and anti-social bank giving really is. Check out these top beneficiaries of GoldmanSachs:
| Beneficiary | Sum | Count | Average | Earliest | Latest |
| CITIZENS FOR PROSPERITY IN AMERICA TODAY PAC | $20,000.00 | 4 | $5,000.00 | 20191231 | 20201102 |
| STEVE DAINES FOR MONTANA | $20,000.00 | 4 | $5,000.00 | 20190610 | 20190923 |
| FRIENDS OF DENVER RIGGLEMAN, INC. | $18,500.00 | 8 | $2,312.50 | 20190524 | 20191228 |
| DCCC | $18,000.00 | 5 | $3,600.00 | 20191107 | 20200929 |
| SHAHEEN FOR SENATE | $17,500.00 | 7 | $2,500.00 | 20190920 | 20200930 |
| ALEX MOONEY FOR CONGRESS | $16,500.00 | 11 | $1,500.00 | 20170927 | 20200924 |
| CLAY JR. FOR CONGRESS | $16,000.00 | 10 | $1,600.00 | 20190704 | 20200303 |
| NEW DEMOCRAT COALITION ACTION FUND | $15,000.00 | 3 | $5,000.00 | 20190930 | 20201102 |
| PERDUE FOR SENATE | $15,000.00 | 5 | $3,000.00 | 20190520 | 20201130 |
| CHC BOLD PAC | $15,000.00 | 3 | $5,000.00 | 20201106 | 20201106 |
| PROMOTING OUR REPUBLICAN TEAM PAC | $15,000.00 | 4 | $3,750.00 | 20190904 | 20201123 |
| FRIENDS OF BEN MCADAMS | $14,000.00 | 9 | $1,555.56 | 20191205 | 20200827 |
| STEIL FOR WISCONSIN, INC. | $14,000.00 | 7 | $2,000.00 | 20190624 | 20201031 |
| LANCE GOODEN FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE | $13,000.00 | 7 | $1,857.14 | 20190701 | 20200226 |
| ZELDIN FOR CONGRESS | $12,500.00 | 6 | $2,083.33 | 20191014 | 20201103 |
| BILL FOSTER FOR CONGRESS | $11,000.00 | 6 | $1,833.33 | 20191001 | 20201103 |
| FRENCH HILL FOR ARKANSAS | $11,000.00 | 9 | $1,222.22 | 20190508 | 20200917 |
| DEVIN NUNES CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE | $10,500.00 | 5 | $2,100.00 | 20191014 | 20200302 |
| JOBS, EDUCATION, & FAMILIES FIRST – JEFF PAC | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20191004 | 20191004 |
| DOUG JONES FOR SENATE COMMITTEE | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20191009 | 20191009 |
| DSCC | $10,000.00 | 1 | $10,000.00 | 20200928 | 20200928 |
| NRSC | $10,000.00 | 1 | $10,000.00 | 20200928 | 20200928 |
| BEN SASSE FOR U.S. SENATE, INC. | $10,000.00 | 4 | $2,500.00 | 20190717 | 20190717 |
| NRCC | $10,000.00 | 1 | $10,000.00 | 20200929 | 20200929 |
| FREEDOM FUND | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20191231 | 20200930 |
| EQUALITY PAC | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20191022 | 20191022 |
| FORWARD TOGETHER PAC | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20191108 | 20200229 |
| BLAINE FOR CONGRESS | $10,000.00 | 4 | $2,500.00 | 20190514 | 20200930 |
| BLUE DOG POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20190823 | 20190823 |
| JOSH GOTTHEIMER FOR CONGRESS | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20191106 | 20191106 |
| GRANITE VALUES PAC | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20190807 | 20190807 |
| MCHENRY FOR CONGRESS | $10,000.00 | 3 | $3,333.33 | 20190820 | 20200930 |
| COMMITTEE FOR A DEMOCRATIC FUTURE | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20191223 | 20201031 |
| ANTHONY GONZALEZ FOR CONGRESS | $10,000.00 | 7 | $1,428.57 | 20190528 | 20200930 |
Now let’s rinse and repeat with JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. FEDERAL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (C00104299) of Washington, DC.
| Beneficiary | Sum | Count | Average | Earliest | Latest |
| CHC BOLD PAC | $25,000.00 | 5 | $5,000.00 | 20191202 | 20201019 |
| SANFORD BISHOP FOR CONGRESS | $17,000.00 | 12 | $1,416.67 | 20130630 | 20200930 |
| TOMORROW IS MEANINGFUL PAC | $17,000.00 | 4 | $4,250.00 | 20191218 | 20200911 |
| DSCC | $15,000.00 | 1 | $15,000.00 | 20200917 | 20200917 |
| NEW DEMOCRAT COALITION ACTION FUND | $15,000.00 | 3 | $5,000.00 | 20191230 | 20200930 |
| NRSC | $15,000.00 | 1 | $15,000.00 | 20200224 | 20200224 |
| STEVE DAINES FOR MONTANA | $14,500.00 | 12 | $1,208.33 | 20190630 | 20200929 |
| STEIL FOR WISCONSIN, INC. | $14,000.00 | 4 | $3,500.00 | 20190930 | 20201019 |
| TEAM GRAHAM, INC. | $14,000.00 | 7 | $2,000.00 | 20190430 | 20201026 |
| PERDUE FOR SENATE | $13,500.00 | 8 | $1,687.50 | 20190630 | 20200630 |
| ZELDIN FOR CONGRESS | $13,000.00 | 7 | $1,857.14 | 20191223 | 20201027 |
| HUIZENGA FOR CONGRESS | $13,000.00 | 7 | $1,857.14 | 20190613 | 20201031 |
| ANDY BARR FOR CONGRESS, INC. | $11,500.00 | 7 | $1,642.86 | 20200211 | 20201019 |
| ALEX MOONEY FOR CONGRESS | $11,000.00 | 7 | $1,571.43 | 20170330 | 20201026 |
| HALEY STEVENS FOR CONGRESS | $11,000.00 | 5 | $2,200.00 | 20190530 | 20200630 |
| JOSH GOTTHEIMER FOR CONGRESS | $10,000.00 | 3 | $3,333.33 | 20191014 | 20200715 |
| FREEDOM FUND | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20191223 | 20200917 |
| FRENCH HILL FOR ARKANSAS | $10,000.00 | 4 | $2,500.00 | 20191230 | 20200924 |
| EQUALITY PAC | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20200930 | 20200930 |
| FIRST STATE PAC | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20191206 | 20200227 |
| TEXANS FOR SENATOR JOHN CORNYN INC. | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20200630 | 20200630 |
| ANN WAGNER FOR CONGRESS | $10,000.00 | 3 | $3,333.33 | 20190621 | 20201026 |
| BLAINE FOR CONGRESS | $10,000.00 | 5 | $2,000.00 | 20190614 | 20200925 |
| BRADY FOR CONGRESS | $10,000.00 | 3 | $3,333.33 | 20191231 | 20201026 |
| UPPER HAND FUND | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20190923 | 20201029 |
We do this one more time today with CITIGROUP INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE – FEDERAL (C00008474) of Washington, DC. These banks, they show at least a little sense to pretend to be embarrassed by all of this right now. For this table, I fudged it slightly, including one beneficiary who got only $9,500 because that beneficiary is David Perdue.
| Beneficiary | Sum | Count | Average | Earliest | Latest |
| NRSC | $30,000.00 | 2 | $15,000.00 | 20200306 | 20200306 |
| FRIENDS OF DENVER RIGGLEMAN, INC. | $23,000.00 | 14 | $1,642.86 | 20190611 | 20200331 |
| SANFORD BISHOP FOR CONGRESS | $19,500.00 | 9 | $2,166.67 | 20130806 | 20190319 |
| EQUALITY PAC | $15,000.00 | 6 | $2,500.00 | 20191118 | 20201016 |
| RICHARD E NEAL FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE | $15,000.00 | 5 | $3,000.00 | 20190630 | 20200829 |
| BEATTY FOR CONGRESS | $15,000.00 | 6 | $2,500.00 | 20200309 | 20200402 |
| DSCC | $15,000.00 | 1 | $15,000.00 | 20200310 | 20200310 |
| NEW MILLENNIUM PAC | $12,500.00 | 3 | $4,166.67 | 20191118 | 20201023 |
| HUIZENGA FOR CONGRESS | $12,500.00 | 8 | $1,562.50 | 20190613 | 20200929 |
| SHAHEEN FOR SENATE | $12,000.00 | 7 | $1,714.29 | 20190918 | 20201029 |
| ANTHONY GONZALEZ FOR CONGRESS | $12,000.00 | 8 | $1,500.00 | 20190628 | 20200930 |
| TEXANS FOR SENATOR JOHN CORNYN INC. | $10,500.00 | 6 | $1,750.00 | 20190930 | 20200930 |
| FRENCH HILL FOR ARKANSAS | $10,000.00 | 6 | $1,666.67 | 20190628 | 20200810 |
| DCCC | $10,000.00 | 1 | $10,000.00 | 20200313 | 20200313 |
| ANN WAGNER FOR CONGRESS | $10,000.00 | 5 | $2,000.00 | 20190401 | 20200919 |
| FINANCIAL SERVICES FORUM POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20191021 | 20200511 |
| MALONEY FOR CONGRESS | $10,000.00 | 4 | $2,500.00 | 20200309 | 20200621 |
| BLAINE FOR CONGRESS | $10,000.00 | 8 | $1,250.00 | 20190614 | 20200925 |
| CA LUV PAC (CALIFORNIA LEADERSHIP UNITED FOR VICTORY PAC) | $10,000.00 | 2 | $5,000.00 | 20200627 | 20200627 |
| PERDUE FOR SENATE | $9,500.00 | 6 | $1,583.33 | 20190927 | 20200318 |
Because I got intense déjà vu reading all these names over and over, I decided to tally the relationships between these 3 PACs and their sphere of influence. Certain people, such as David Perdue–who held the balance of power in the universe until just last week–rise to the top easily, and one thing that is interesting to note is that it is relatively rare that all 3 PACs are not interested in the same committees. The texture of their shared priorities is made real by this kind of analysis.
Their largest commitment, of course, was to a Republican Senate.
| Beneficiary | Benefactors | Sum | Count | Average | Earliest | Latest |
| NRSC | 3 | $55,000.00 | 4 | $13,750.00 | 20200224 | 20200928 |
| FRIENDS OF DENVER RIGGLEMAN, INC. | 3 | $47,500.00 | 25 | $1,900.00 | 20190524 | 20200331 |
| CHC BOLD PAC | 3 | $45,000.00 | 9 | $5,000.00 | 20191202 | 20201106 |
| SANFORD BISHOP FOR CONGRESS | 3 | $45,000.00 | 28 | $1,607.14 | 20130430 | 20200930 |
| DSCC | 3 | $40,000.00 | 3 | $13,333.33 | 20200310 | 20200928 |
| PERDUE FOR SENATE | 3 | $38,000.00 | 19 | $2,000.00 | 20190520 | 20201130 |
| STEVE DAINES FOR MONTANA | 3 | $37,500.00 | 18 | $2,083.33 | 20190610 | 20200929 |
| STEIL FOR WISCONSIN, INC. | 3 | $37,000.00 | 19 | $1,947.37 | 20190624 | 20201031 |
| EQUALITY PAC | 3 | $35,000.00 | 10 | $3,500.00 | 20191022 | 20201016 |
| ZELDIN FOR CONGRESS | 3 | $34,500.00 | 18 | $1,916.67 | 20191014 | 20201103 |
| HUIZENGA FOR CONGRESS | 3 | $34,500.00 | 20 | $1,725.00 | 20190613 | 20201031 |
| FRENCH HILL FOR ARKANSAS | 3 | $31,000.00 | 19 | $1,631.58 | 20190508 | 20200924 |
| BEATTY FOR CONGRESS | 3 | $30,500.00 | 14 | $2,178.57 | 20200220 | 20200629 |
| BLAINE FOR CONGRESS | 3 | $30,000.00 | 17 | $1,764.71 | 20190514 | 20200930 |
| NEW DEMOCRAT COALITION ACTION FUND | 2 | $30,000.00 | 6 | $5,000.00 | 20190930 | 20201102 |
| SHAHEEN FOR SENATE | 2 | $29,500.00 | 14 | $2,107.14 | 20190918 | 20201029 |
| ANTHONY GONZALEZ FOR CONGRESS | 3 | $28,000.00 | 18 | $1,555.56 | 20190528 | 20200930 |
| DCCC | 2 | $28,000.00 | 6 | $4,666.67 | 20191107 | 20200929 |
| ALEX MOONEY FOR CONGRESS | 2 | $27,500.00 | 18 | $1,527.78 | 20170330 | 20201026 |
| MCHENRY FOR CONGRESS | 3 | $26,500.00 | 10 | $2,650.00 | 20190820 | 20200930 |
| TEXANS FOR SENATOR JOHN CORNYN INC. | 3 | $25,500.00 | 9 | $2,833.33 | 20190930 | 20200930 |
| FRIENDS OF BEN MCADAMS | 3 | $25,500.00 | 13 | $1,961.54 | 20191205 | 20200916 |
| BILL FOSTER FOR CONGRESS | 3 | $25,000.00 | 15 | $1,666.67 | 20191001 | 20201103 |
| JOSH GOTTHEIMER FOR CONGRESS | 3 | $22,500.00 | 6 | $3,750.00 | 20191014 | 20200916 |
| RICHARD E NEAL FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE | 2 | $22,500.00 | 8 | $2,812.50 | 20190630 | 20200924 |
| ANN WAGNER FOR CONGRESS | 3 | $22,000.00 | 9 | $2,444.44 | 20190401 | 20201026 |
| ANDY BARR FOR CONGRESS, INC. | 3 | $22,000.00 | 13 | $1,692.31 | 20200211 | 20201019 |
| COLLINS FOR SENATOR | 3 | $21,500.00 | 10 | $2,150.00 | 20190518 | 20201028 |
| TEAM GRAHAM, INC. | 2 | $21,500.00 | 10 | $2,150.00 | 20190319 | 20201026 |
| CLAY JR. FOR CONGRESS | 2 | $21,500.00 | 14 | $1,535.71 | 20190328 | 20200331 |
| MCSALLY FOR SENATE INC | 3 | $21,000.00 | 11 | $1,909.09 | 20191210 | 20200924 |
| CITIZENS FOR PROSPERITY IN AMERICA TODAY PAC | 1 | $20,000.00 | 4 | $5,000.00 | 20191231 | 20201102 |
| FREEDOM FUND | 2 | $20,000.00 | 4 | $5,000.00 | 20191223 | 20200930 |
| TOMORROW IS MEANINGFUL PAC | 2 | $20,000.00 | 7 | $2,857.14 | 20191218 | 20200911 |
| SCALISE LEADERSHIP FUND | 3 | $20,000.00 | 7 | $2,857.14 | 20191010 | 20201103 |
| BEN SASSE FOR U.S. SENATE, INC. | 2 | $19,000.00 | 11 | $1,727.27 | 20190717 | 20200320 |
| PETERS FOR MICHIGAN | 3 | $18,000.00 | 8 | $2,250.00 | 20141103 | 20200825 |
| BLUE DOG POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE | 3 | $17,500.00 | 4 | $4,375.00 | 20190823 | 20200916 |
| DOUG JONES FOR SENATE COMMITTEE | 3 | $17,500.00 | 5 | $3,500.00 | 20191009 | 20201026 |
| HALEY STEVENS FOR CONGRESS | 3 | $17,000.00 | 9 | $1,888.89 | 20190530 | 20200630 |
| RICHMOND FOR CONGRESS | 3 | $17,000.00 | 11 | $1,545.45 | 20190627 | 20201103 |
| HOYER FOR CONGRESS | 3 | $17,000.00 | 7 | $2,428.57 | 20191126 | 20201102 |
| TED BUDD FOR CONGRESS | 3 | $16,000.00 | 11 | $1,454.55 | 20190812 | 20200930 |
| TOGETHER HOLDING OUR MAJORITY PAC | 3 | $15,500.00 | 6 | $2,583.33 | 20191007 | 20200221 |
| PROMOTING OUR REPUBLICAN TEAM PAC | 1 | $15,000.00 | 4 | $3,750.00 | 20190904 | 20201123 |
| INNOVATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE | 3 | $15,000.00 | 4 | $3,750.00 | 20200625 | 20201105 |
| DEVIN NUNES CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE | 2 | $15,000.00 | 8 | $1,875.00 | 20191014 | 20200303 |