(Newser)
–
Mark Zuckerberg, political advocate? Yep, the Facebook CEO has joined other executives in forming an advocacy group that's likely to focus on various issues, starting with US immigration, Politico reports. No surprise there: It's already a hot topic among Silicon Valley executives competing for global talent. And Zuckerberg recently joined other tech execs in lobbying Washington for a "more open and flexible" US immigration system, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. A few more juicy details:
- Zuckerberg has thrown big money at the new group—maybe up to $20 million—and persuaded others to pitch in $2 million to $5 million.
- His old Harvard roomie, Joe Green, is a central player in the group.
- Executives are working with consultants on both sides of the political aisle, including GOP strategist Jon Lerner, who once produced an ad that described liberals as "latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading" freaks.
- Zuckerberg has raised eyebrows among Democrats by hosting a fundraiser for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican. Protesters stood outside his Palo Alto, Calif., house during the event.
Click for more at Politico or the Chronicle, which broke the story.
