Politics

Microsoft and Google employees among top donors to Obama campaign

Josh Peterson Tech Editor
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Microsoft and Google employees rank among the top donors to President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign.

Recent data released by the Federal Election Commission on October 21 show that Microsoft employees have given $680,769 to the Obama campaign, and Google employees have given $661,996, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The figures make Microsoft and Google the second and third-biggest contributors to the campaign, respectively.

The organizations themselves did not contribute those funds. Rather, the money “came from the organizations’ PACs, their individual members or employees or owners, and those individuals’ immediate families,” the Center for Responsive Politics noted in its report.

Employees working at the liberal University of California system topped the list, giving a total of $927,568 to the president’s campaign.

Harvard University affiliates ($535,405) and U.S. government employees ($528,603) ranked fourth and fifth in total donations, respectively.

Romney is the clear favorite of affiliates of several big banks: Goldman Sachs ($965,140), Bank of America ($844,734), Morgan Stanley ($768,216), JPMorgan Chase & Co ($749,918) and Credit Suisse Group ($588,841).

Giving to the Obama campaign by employees from these organizations is still less than it was in the previous election cycle, when University of California ($1,648,685) and Goldman Sachs ($1,013,091) employees ranked first and second.

During that election cycle, Microsoft ($852,167) and Google ($814,540) ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, after Harvard University ($878,164).

Employees in the communications and electronics sector are also firmly behind the president. Recent FEC filings, according to Center for Responsive Politics, show that sector’s donations  to the president have totaled $16,826,230, while Romney has received $5,640,032.

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