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Obama Donor’s Company LinkedIn Fined For Federal Wage Violations

Patrick Howley Political Reporter
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The business-world social media company LinkedIn agreed to pay nearly $6 million for violating federal wage laws, the U.S. Department of Labor announced late in the day Monday.

LinkedIn is doling out payments to 359 employees past and present after it violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by not paying proper overtime to its workers. The company owed more than $3.3 million in overtime back wages plus damages, according to pcworld.com. The Labor Department reportedly said that LinkedIn showed “a great deal of integrity” during the investigation.

It is unclear whether any of the employees denied overtime pay ended up finding better jobs on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn co-founder and executive chairman Reid Hoffman was listed by Business Insider as one of Silicon Valley’s biggest political donors. Hoffman reportedly gave $43,300 to Democrats during the 2012 campaign cycle, including $30,800 to the Democratic National Committee and $5,000 to President Obama, who has been a staunch supporter of raising the federal minimum wage to prevent big corporate types like his donors from disenfranchising poor people.

Hoffman was rewarded in April when Obama selected him to be one of his Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship, who work with Obama administration agencies including the State Department.

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Patrick Howley