Toyota Has Donated to Investigating Reps.

When Toyota's executives arrived on Capitol Hill Tuesday to testify before a House committee about their handling of dangerous safety defects, they weren't exactly walking into enemy territory.

They've spent years courting the very congressmen who are now charged with investigating them, as CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes reports.

Over the past decade, Toyota has made contributions to 40 of the 125 members who sit on the three relevant committees, a total of $135,000 in campaign cash.

In the past five years, Toyota has spent $25 million lobbying the federal government, far more than foreign rivals Honda ($10.3 million) and Nissan ($15.5 million), though it pales in comparison to what U.S. automaker General Motors spent - a staggering $53.1 million over the same time period.

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"This is the game that is played in Washington unfortunately and this is exactly how's it's played," said Mary Boyle of the nonpartisan government accountability group Common Cause "The bottom line is the money has an effect on your judgment,. It influences you. It just does."

West Virginia's Jay Rockefeller, who heads the Senate investigation, once joked that he should be considered a member of Toyota's "site selection" team after convincing the carmaker to build a plant in his state.

And then there are the members who own Toyota stock, anywhere from a few hundred dollars worth, like Rep. Michael Burgess of Texas to upwards of $100,000 in the case of California's Jane Harman.

Despite all that money, Rep. Darrell Issa insists Toyota won't get off easy.

"Well you know Bill Gates gives me money but it doesn't make me a Microsoft apologist," he said.

Issa has been one of the most aggressive backers of the investigation, even though the Viper security system he manufactured before coming to Congress was installed in thousands of Toyotas.

"Knowledge of an industry, particularly of automotive electronics in this case, has been helpful for me to understand what they could do, what they need to do, and how potentially dangerous cars can become if they don't install and maintain failsafe systems," he said.

[mandi942]

I agree with javMD,check where the parts are made.
I will continue to buy TOYOTA cars.I have a 2006 highlander limited and love it.I have owned ford and dodge.The dodge was a 1998 dakota sport truck,we had to replace the ball joints and tie rod.Dodge did nothing for us,they did however do a recall on the 2000 and several other yrs for the same problem.

[david393071]

by JavMD February 23, 2010 8:41 PM EST

How about you go to the Dealership Autoparts Department and read the Made In Label.

GM, Ford, Chrysler = Toluca, Mexico; Machau, China and Shanghai, China.

FOREIGN CORPORATIONS = invest and reinvest in the US: California, Oregon, Tennesse, Texas, Washington, New Mexico, Arizona, North Carolina, Louisianna, Ohio, Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Virginia, Indiana (2008), Massachusetts, etc..

The profits from sales remain in the US and reinvested as learned in US Business School, taught by American W.E. Deming. example: Dec 2008, Honda Indiana Plant/Factory. 2009 Toyota, Mississippi Plant/Factory.

versus GM, Ford, Chrysler, 2009, closure 1/3 US Plants, layoff 1/3 US "Work Force" while retaining Machau, China; Toluca, Mexico and Shanghai, China Plants/Factories these foreign plants/factories were built using previous US Bailout Money. Reason that they will do this is to become "economically viable" irregardless of the effect to the US. The cost to implement the 2009 Restructuring Plans is approximately 150 Billion USD +17.4 Billion USD. The casualities will be more of US Citizens, unemployed.


And the majority of those that run or own businesses know that the majority of the profits go to payroll in their case US Citizens, not Mexican, Chinese like GM, Ford, Chrysler.

FOOLS ! BUY LOCAL, KEEP IT LOCAL Buy from Foreign Investors not the foreign US Corporations (name only) like GM, Ford, Chrysler pushed with lobbyist for Free Trade Agreements to legalize "Outsourcing" US Jobs/Manufacturing.

[david393071]

We need to have a Congress of the People (US Citizens) for the People (US Citizens) of the United States of America.

A solution, select Congress from each State like random Jury Duty Selection. This would be considered a Duty like US Military Service with similiar benefits, that end upon end of term (Term Limits). Salary would be the National Average of the "Middle Class". The State would own the "Middle Class" House(s) at D.C.. Upon completion of Duty you would be returned back to the same State and Neigborhood that you came from (peer pressure to do a good job).

Make Lobbyists Illegal, this includes those associating with them. If caught then charged with "Crimes against the Citizens of the United States of America" aka Treason. During time of War (which we are, Four) and National Emergency (which we are H1N1 Pandemic) this can mean Summary Execution (no hearing no trial). (same with making the US Corporate Executives by reinstating the Selective Service, then Drafting them and having them swear or affirm an Oath to the US. Then placed in Military Reserve. This is an advantage that other Countries with Manditory Compulsory Service have over the US, all Citizen earned their Citizenship and have sworn or affirmed themselves to their Country.). Then you take a few out and Summary Execute them as Traitors that committed Treason to set the example.

I posted additional details at another forum.

[likeitbe]

Democrat Congress?...bribed?....lol!!! Some things never change.

Still, it's clear as a bell that this is the Dems attempt to artificially bolster US carmakers. In the end they will do nothing to Toyota but will succeed in besmirching the name.

[krzeaz]

Aww, c'mon folks, paying off the investigators? Totally not fair. Get 'em out and get unbribed investigators in.

[jckbrn-2009]

On the streets it's called prostitution, in DC it's calledd lobbying ! !
Politicians/legislators are for sale! ! !

[nearl451]

Funny thing is that the Supreme Court has no problem with this. Corporations can support Candidates- Money is Freedom of Speech. Can't be curtailed - so they say. We see the conflict of interest. We know we don'thave that much "speech" available for our interests, but whatever.

Actually, the entire recall episode here is like water off a duck's back there is a single serious issue and Toyota will fix it and be back on top. It'd be nice to see an American mfr take advantage of this issue,but none are really posed to do it (look at # of recalls on American made cars).

[cbsblogger]

They (Toyota) were probably pulling in their lobbying and donation chits for years which is why no one in government / DOT would listen to them.

It was the same deal with Madoff. His Congressional beneficiaries made sure the SEC never investigated him. The government bureaucrats have little discretion when you have Congressional hacks calling them off.

[gwjackie]

Nothing is going to happen it never does they been told before hand look we are going to talk to you a little rough at times but pay no attention to what we say this is BS for the American people so after this we will all go out and have a drink or to and laugh about how we fooled everyone.

[robbyr2]

$135,000 split 40 ways. I guess I should buy a congressman. According to Common Cause they come awfully cheap.