Trump's Army pick has lavished Congress with campaign cash
By Christopher Rowland GLOBE STAFF OCTOBER 16, 2017
WASHINGTON — When Raytheon’s top lobbyist faces senators for his confirmation to become secretary of the Army, the hearing may answer a crucial question: How much good will does half a million dollars buy in Congress?
That’s roughly how much political money Mark Esper, Raytheon’s vice president for government relations, has lavished over the last seven years on Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee, through the giant defense company’s political action committee.
The $473,000 to committee members — who must decide whether Esper’s nomination advances to the full Senate — is just one slice of more than $11 million in Raytheon PAC contributions Esper has orchestrated to incumbents and various candidates for federal office.
The contributions inject questions of political influence and conflict of interest into the debate over his nomination, and they lie at the core of concerns voiced by Senator Elizabeth Warren and watchdog groups about Esper’s nomination.
more
http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2017/10/16/army-nomination-will-test-power-raytheon-campaign-generosity/vSbuA6LaRVGgqARHsxhn4K/story.html