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Lockheed contributions follow F-35 contract (xpost from NSD)
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/vermont/2014/08/20/lockheed-contribution-vermont-delegation-follow-f-contract/14344483/Lockheed contributions follow F-35 contract
Nicole Gaudiano 2:54 p.m. EDT August 20, 2014
WASHINGTON – Lockheed Martin political action committees and employees have contributed generously to members of Congress, including two Vermont lawmakers, since winning the main contract to develop the Joint Strike Fighter jet, the most expensive weapons project ever.
PACs and employees affiliated with Lockheed contributed $12.4 million to members of Congress between Jan. 1, 2001 and Dec. 31, 2013, according to a recent MapLight analysis of contributions compiled by OpenSecrets.org. About $8.1 million went to current members.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., received $12,000 and Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., received $5,200 during that period, according to MapLight, a research group that tracks money's influence on politics.
The Vermont Air National Guard will be the first Guard base to receive the planes, starting in 2020. Over heated objections from some Vermonters, both Leahy and Welch — along with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. — strongly supported basing F-35s at the Air Guard station at Burlington International Airport. The analysis shows no Lockheed-related contributions for Sanders, who does not accept corporate PAC contributions.