The companies with multimillion-dollar contracts to supply American airports with body-scanning machines more than doubled their spending on lobbying in the past five years and hired several high-profile former government officials to advance their causes in Washington, government records show.
L-3 Communications, which has sold $39.7 million worth of the machines to the federal government, spent $4.3 million trying to influence Congress and federal agencies during the first nine months of this year, up from $2.1 million in 2005, lobbying data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics show. Its lobbyists include Linda Daschle, a former Federal Aviation Administration official.
Rapiscan Systems, meanwhile, has spent $271,500 on lobbying so far this year, compared with $80,000 five years earlier. It has faced criticism for hiring Michael Chertoff, the former Homeland Security secretary, last year. Chertoff has been a prominent proponent of using scanners to foil terrorism. The government has spent $41.2 million with Rapiscan.
“The revolving door provides corporations like these with a short cut to lawmakers” and other decision-makers, said Sheila Krumholz, of the Center for Responsive Politics.
The use of body-scanning machines has ignited controversy over privacy and health concerns.
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3 Responses
Is this what democracy has to offer? So, is groping for money more moral than for fun?
ofcourse. These people who are manufacturing were in the government and the they had the idea and the government say go do it. Soros oweed 11,000 shares til last week. Great family; yes families of thieves
These scanners are of limited use because they don’t detect anything that is soft or made out of plastic. What is the use?