Rick Brought Home $1B in Pork—and Big Donations

Former senator was a 'vigorous practitioner' of securing earmarks

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 16, 2012 10:09 AM CST

(Newser) – In Rick Santorum's days in the Senate, lawmakers didn't have to disclose their earmarks—but a New York Times analysis shows that Santorum had a lot of them, and that they were often followed by large campaign contributions from the companies they benefited. In one defense bill, for example, Santorum helped secure $124 million in earmarks. In the ensuing election cycle, the beneficiaries donated more than $200,000 to his campaign and PAC.

The watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense estimates that Santorum secured more than $1 billion in earmarks from 1995 to 2006, and though the murky disclosures of the time make it hard to compare that directly to his contemporaries, budget analysts say it's safe to call him a "vigorous practitioner." A Santorum adviser denies that campaign contributions played into Santorum's decisions—"We can't control when somebody made a contribution," he reasons.

[Images (1)]

[Quotes (1)]

Rick Santorum speaks as he campaigns at the Faith and Freedom Coalition Prayer Breakfast in Myrtle Beach, SC, Jan. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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This is the thing about earmarks. It’s not that every project is horrible. The problem is it looks like it is pay-to-play. It looks like: ‘You want to get an earmark? You make a contribution.’ - Ryan Alexander, president of
Taxpayers for Common Sense

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 22 comments

OuttaHere

Jan 16, 2012 5:38 PM CST

One of many "Porky Pigs" chowing down on taxpayer money. He needs to have the mark of Cain put on him for everyone to see. That's not Herman Cain we're talking about. But that might work too.

Observer

Jan 16, 2012 3:21 PM CST

Santorum is a lot like Coach Sandusky, both like frothy mixtures. Santorum is filthy and a hypocrite "Believer". The 200K pay-off was 15% of the 1.2M Earmark. That's about right in the pay-off percentage world of politicians. They do not want to appear greedy when they help their constituents.

SC23

Jan 16, 2012 2:02 PM CST

I glanced and thought the headline said "Prick Brought Home $1B in Pork".. now that I look.. not a bad title...

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Rick Brought Home $1B in Pork—and Big Donations

Former senator was a 'vigorous practitioner' of securing earmarks

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