Center for Public Integrity | OpenSecrets.org
News Corp’s political action committee gave 52 percent of its donations during the 2012 election cycle to Democratic candidates, reports Dave Levinthal. The donations provide “a notable, if not striking contrast with Fox News’ conservative reputation,” Levinthal writes.
In January, News America-FOXPAC gave money to five Democratic candidates and no money to Republicans, though it “contributed $15,000 in January to the National Republican Congressional Committee, which may by law accept significantly larger contributions than candidate committees,” Levinthal writes.
Prominent Democrats receiving News America-FOXPAC cash last election cycle included Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, as well as House Minority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina and Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.
Via OpenSecrets, here’s a list of all the candidates who received FoxPAC donations during that cycle. U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman — a California politician who might as well have been scientifically engineered to drive conservatives bananas — received one of the PAC’s largest donations, $10,000.
News Corp’s page about its political activities calls News America-FOXPAC “a non-partisan PAC” whose “focus is helping to elect quality men and women, regardless of political party, who are dedicated to providing leadership in public service and promoting sound public policy.”
News America-FOXPAC is funded by voluntary contributions from eligible employees of the company, and is used to make contributions at the federal level and in states where allowed.
“In 2008, News Corporation contributed $380,558 to Mr. Obama’s campaign, compared with $32,740 to the Republican nominee John McCain,” Amy Chozick reported last summer in a survey of media-company political donations.
Related: Poll: Fox News most trusted (and least trusted) network in America | Fake study says Fox News viewers have low IQs | Survey: NPR’s listeners best-informed, Fox viewers worst-informed
