I suppose it’s at least theoretically possible that these contributions aren’t a quid pro quo for the administration’s approval of the Comcast merger, but then, so’s the existence of the tooth fairy:
With the 2012 presidential campaign heating up, Comcast Corp. executives or their wives, board members, and lower-ranking employees are some of the leading contributors to President Obama’s reelection campaign.
More than 30 individuals gave, earlier this year, a total of $235,650 to the Obama Victory Fund, which supports Obama’s reelection campaign and the Democratic National Committee, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan tracker of politics and money.
The Comcast contributions came several months after the federal government approved Comcast’s deal to acquire NBC Universal Inc. and were the largest from individuals associated with one company or law firm in the January-through-June campaign-finance-reporting period. They easily beat the second-ranking organization on the center’s list: Wall Street powerhouse law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom L.L.P., whose lawyers and employees contributed $141,500 to the fund, a fund-raising vehicle for higher-dollar political contributions.
A Comcast official said the political contributions were personal decisions and not actions taken through the cable company’s political-action committee.
