Corporations wanting to do business in Louisiana have found an easy way of buying Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal's approval and it wasn't too hard for them to find. Supriya Jindal, the governor's wife, set up a non-profit foundation six months after Bobby took the oath of office. Unlike with campaign contributions, donations to the Supriya Jindal Foundation for Louisiana's Children have no contribution limit.
The New York Times reports that Jindal's wife's charity offers corporate tie to the governor and according to their review "the foundation has collected nearly $1 million in previously unreported pledges from major oil companies, insurers and other corporations in Louisiana with high-stakes regulatory issues".
In their own investigation of the Jindal Foundation, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) found that:
The foundation's website acknowledges thirteen donors who have each pledged between $10,000 and $250,000 to the Jindal Foundation. Collectively, nine of those donors pledged at least $790,000 to the Jindal Foundation and contributed over $100,000 to Gov. Jindal since 2007. At least eight companies have together received at least $113.6 million in payments from the state since 2008.
"The Jindal Foundation and Gov. Jindal share ties beyond donors," the CREW investigation found. "The foundation's treasurer, Alexandra Bautsch, also serves as Gov. Jindal's chief fundraiser" and both the governor adn his wife "used the same company, iWeb Strategies, a self-described 'onlinepolitical consulting firm,' to design their respective campaign and foundation websites."
And while the governor "does not appear to be involved in the day-to-day operations of the Jindal Foundation. Nonetheless, the website brazenly displays a photograph of the governor with the first lady on a page soliciting donations," CREW wrote.
"The donations that come in to charities like this are almost always from folks who want something from a politician," Melanie Sloan, CREW director, told the Times. She added:
Foundations tied to politicians see their donations dry up when the politician is no longer in power... That demonstrates the real reason the charities get the donations is their political position, not because of the good works they do.
Here are five examples of how corporate contributions to the Jindal Foundation may benefit a company. Note all corporations listed contributed to Gov. Jindal's political campaign.
AT&T
Price: At least $250,000
Desire: Need the governor's signature "on legislation allowing the company to sell cable television services without having to negotiate with individual parishes".
Outcome: Nearly $21.7 million from the state since 2008.
Marathon Oil
Price: $250,000
Desire: "To increase the amount of oil it can refine at its Louisiana plant".
Outcome: Won approval and a subsidiary of Marathon Oil was paid more than $5.2 million in 2010 by the Louisiana Office of Facility Planning and Control.
Northrup Grumman
Price: $10,000
Desire: Help to "set up an airplane maintenance facility at a former Air Force base"
Outcome: Got help from state officials and has been paid $12 million by the state since 2008.
Dow Chemical
Price: $100,000
Desire: Stall or end an "investigation into a July 2009 spill at its St. Charles Parish plant that forced the evacuation of area homes. The state in December 2009 proposed fining the company".
Outcome: "No fine has been assessed" yet.
Alon USA
Price: $250,000
Desire: "Permit changes that would allow it to discharge more pollutants at its Krotz Springs refinery".
Outcome: "In 2009, state environmental officials also eased requirements for the company to check for spills of oil, ammonia or other contaminants in waterways to twice a month, instead of twice a week".