The Rainmakers: California's top political donors, 2001-2011
Lavishing their largesse on legislators and political committees alike, the largest donors to California politics spent $1.25 billion from 2001 through 2011. The group — 50 special interests and 50 wealthy individuals — spans the Golden State's social order. They are corporate leaders and venture capitalists, real estate developers and Hollywood scions. They are energy and tobacco companies, labor unions and tribal governments. Collectively, they shelled out a third of all the money given to campaigns in the state during the 11-year period. This data includes only contributions to candidates and ballot measure committees, not independent expenditure groups.
Chevron Corp., San Ramon, CA
Badges
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Fence Sitterwhat's this? -
Sugar Daddywhat's this? -
Top Spender 2006what's this?
Win/loss percentage
$40,197,122 to winners, $1,123,238 to losers
Chevron is one of the five largest corporations in the United States and one of the world's six "supermajor" oil companies. Established in 1879 as Pacific Coast Oil Co., it operates in more than 180 countries. Chevron made its biggest political contribution to No on Prop. 87 in 2006. Proposition 87 would have taxed oil companies as part of a program to reduce petroleum consumption in California by 25 percent. The measure failed.
Total contributions: $50,405,905
List of contributions
Source: Contribution data from National Institute on Money in State Politics
Credits: Interactive by Michael Corey, Coulter Jones and Chase Davis. Reporting by Coulter Jones. Badge design by Thomas Guffey. Additional reporting by Stanford University students enrolled in a Communications Department investigative reporting class under the direction of California Watch Editorial Director Mark Katches. The project began in January 2011. Students participating were: Devin Banerjee, Daniel Bohm, Kathleen Chaykowski, Tom Corrigan, Cassandra Feliciano, Jamie Hansen, Amy Harris, Josh Hicks, Ellen Huet, Julia James, Paul Jones, Ryan Mac, Valentina Nesci, Dean Schaffer, Elizabeth Titus and Kareem Yasin. Bohm, Hansen, Huet, Harris and Titus continued to work on the project as California Watch interns under the direction of Associate Editor Denise Zapata.
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