According to the report, America for Sale: A Report on Billionaires Buying the 2012 Election, here are the 26 billionaires who are trying to buy your government:
1). Sheldon Adelson,78, owner of the Las Vegas Sands Casino, is worth nearly $25 billion, making him the 14th wealthiest person in the world and the 7th richest person in America. While median family income plummeted by nearly 40% from 2007-2010, Mr. Adelson has experienced a nearly eightfold increase in his wealth over the past three years (from $3.4 billion to $24.9 billion). Forbes recently reported that Adelson is willing to spend a “limitless” amount of money or more than $100 million to help defeat President Obama in November.
2. The Kochs (David, Charles, and William), 72 76 and 72 respectively, are worth a combined $103 billion, according to Forbes. They have pledged to spend about $400 million during the 2012 election season. The Kochs own more wealth than the bottom 41.7 percent of American households or more than 49 million Americans.
3. Jim Walton, 64, is worth $23.7 billion. He has donated $300,000 to super PACs in 2012.
4. Harold Simmons, 81, is worth $9 billion. He has donated $15.2 million to super PACs this year.
5. Peter Thiel, 44, is worth $1.5 billion. He has donated $6.7 million to Super PACs this year.
6. Jerrold Perenchio, 81, is worth $2.3 billion. He has donated $2.6 million to super PACs this year.
7. Kenneth Griffin, 43, is worth $3 billion and he has given $2.08 million to super PACs in 2012.
8. James Simons, 74, is worth $10.7 billion and he has given $1.5 million to super Pacs this year.
9. Julian Robertson, 80, is worth $2.5 billion and he has given $1.25 million to super PACs this year.
10. Robert Rowling, 58, is worth $4.8 billion and he has given $1.1 million to super PACs.
11. John Paulson, 56, the hedge fund manager who made his fortune betting that the sub-prime mortgage market would collapse, is worth $12.5 billion. He has donated $1 million to super PACs.
12. Richard and J.W. Marriott, 73 and 80 respectively, are worth a combined $3.1 billion and they have donated $2 million to super PACs this year.
13.James Davis, 69, is worth $1.9 billion and he has given $1 million to super PACs this year.
14. Harold Hamm, 66, is worth $11 billion and he has given $985,000 to super PACs this year.
15. Kenny Troutt, 59, is worth more than $1.2 billion and he has given $900,000 to super PACs this year.
16. Louis Bacon, 54, is worth $1.4 billion and he has given $500,000 to super PACs this year.
17.Bruce Kovner, 67, is worth $4.5 billion and he has given $500,000 to super PACs this year.
18. Warren Stephens, 55, is worth $2.7 billion and he has given $500,000 to super PACs this year.
19. David Tepper, 54, is worth $5.1 billion and he has given $375,000 to super PACs this year.
20. Samuel Zell, 70, is worth $4.9 billion and he has given $270,000 to super PACs this year.
21. Leslie Wexner is worth $4.3 billion and he has given $250,000 to super PACs this year.
22. Charles Schwab, 74, is worth $3.5 billion and he has given $250,000 to super PACs this year.
23. Kelcy Warren, 56, is worth $2.3 billion and he has given $250,000 to super PACs this year.
The thing that these billionaires love most about Citizens United it is that it allows them to operate in total darkness. The American people couldn’t fight back because the billionaires were giving their money anonymously. This same cloak of invisibility is what made ALEC so effective for years. The conservative billionaire cabal works best in private, behind closed doors, far away from curious eyes.
With his report today, Senator Sanders has made it more difficult for thieves of liberty to keep operating in the night. We now have a list of names and we know what they are trying to do to our government. Sen. Sanders is one of the few federally elected officials who has the courage to talk about these people in public.
Most of the members of the House and Senate are too afraid to speak of, much less take on, the billionaires. Even those decent members of Congress who might speak out against them have been terrified into silence by threats of multimillion dollar negative ad buys that will run against the incumbent back home.
Bernie Sanders is displaying a brand of political courage that is sorely lacking in American politics today, and he needs you to stand with him to protect our liberties, our freedoms, and to battle to return the government back to the American people.
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