"Companies spent $84m on congressional campaigns in 2018, analysis of votes and political contributions shows"

"The oil and gas industry substantially rewards US legislators with campaign donations when they oppose environmental protections, according to a new analysis of congressional votes and political contributions.

Oil and gas companies spent $84m on congressional campaigns in 2018. Researchers found a correlation between an increase in anti-environment votes and an increase in contributions. They documented how lawmakers’ scores from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) dipped and then were followed by campaign funding from the industry.

On average, a 10% decrease in the LCV score in an election cycle was associated with an additional $1,700 in campaign money from the corporations the following cycle.

The peer-reviewed study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."

Emily Holden reports for the Guardian February 24, 2020. [2]