Fox News Parent News Corp. Reportedly Gave $1M to Chamber of Commerce

Rupert Murdoch, News Corp chairman and CEO

/ AP

Fox News parent company News Corp. gave $1 million this summer to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the powerful business group that is largely supporting Republicans in the midterm elections, Politico reports.

The news organization came under fire earlier this summer for giving another $1 million to the Republican Governors Association (RGA). FOX's political action committee has also reportedly made smaller donations to Democrats.

Corporations that own other media companies -- General Electric owns NBC, for instance -- typically make political contributions to both Republicans and Democrats and in smaller sizes, Politico's Ben Smith points out.

The Chamber has said it aims to spend as much as $75 million on this election cycle, and the Wall Street Journal reported this month that it is one of about a dozen major conservative and business organizations that will spend about $300 million to support Republican candidates. The Chamber has also been outspoken in its criticism of the Obama administration.

Spokespersons for News Corp., Fox News and the Chamber declined to comment on the company's donation to the Chamber to Politico.

Fox News is often characterized as right-leaning, but the network maintains that its news coverage (rather than its opinion programming) is nonpartisan.

The liberal media watchdog Media Matters created an ad attacking Fox for not reporting on News Corp.'s donation to the RGA and after a tussle with the company, managed to air the ad once on Fox.

In a hearing on immigration on Capitol Hill yesterday, Democrats questioned News Corp. Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch about bias in Fox News programming.

"I'm interested in knowing... how you feel about some of the anti-immigrant positions that are promoted by your network, on issues like Arizona's recent immigration law?" Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) asked Murdoch.

The CEO responded that his network welcomes Democrats.

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), meanwhile, took an opportunity during the hearing to praise Fox for its fair coverage.

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Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of her posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.

[stn_sage]

Not really surprising! If News Corp would like to make a third pledge for the year---send it to me, I'd be eternally grateful! :)

[stormerF3]

SInce when is the Chamber of Commerce a GOP organization. Is it because they are pro-business? Which creates Jobs that hire Americans instead of giving handouts to people to vote for Democrats.

[documemts]

No, pro R.

[documemts]

Puts his $$ where he makes his $$$.

[stormerF3]

I believe it is his money to spend as he wishes?

[BuckeyeChuck]

The CoC has gone the way of the GOP, thirty years ago both were a help to small town America, now both are so pro big business that they hurt the very people they represent.

[stormerF3]

Sounds like your describing the Unions?

[noloyalisti]

We now (since Citizens United) have the most corrupt political system on earth. Candidates of the GOP party of Death and Spending can now take unlimited money from their corporate Mafia masters like Fox Propaganda Channel.

There is no excuse for supporting the obsolete and dangerous Republican Party. They are a criminal enterprise that should be immediately disbanded for what they have done the last 10 years.

[stormerF3]

You have been to the koolaid bowl too many times.

[noloyalisti]

The Chamber of Commerce is a HUGE extremist right wing organization that is for corporate profits ahead of labor, families, environment and country. So they are EXACTLY what the criminal Republican Party of War and Death like.

[stormerF3]

You must be of the know nothing party? Your blog sure sounds like it.

[sam_38]

Um, without businesses nobody has jobs, nobody has money to pay the government, and nobody gets handouts because there's no money to hand out. Corporate profits are the lifeblood of this country. It is the job of a business to make money. That's what they do. No reason to demonize them.

[tsigili]

When you consider the Chamber of Commerce, a pro-GOP organization, you are stretching the truth a mile.

[GoGoUsa]

jwilwad, the truth has a liberal bias and it seems that conservative organizations are battling that more then the actual facts on almost every issue. I dropped my Chamber membership a few years ago and try not to do business with it's members whenever possible.

[stormerF3]

It is because the CoC is pro-business,un-like Obama's administration,that wants a nanny state.I guess that is being pro-GOP, but didn't Obama just say he was for business also?

[ddaryl]

Surprise...