Summary: Getting down to pertinent details and names of Microsoft lobbyists (including those working for the Gates family)

MICROSOFT'S MASSIVE lobbying framework is a subject that was explored here before. It is important to realise that Microsoft need not lobby directly and many lobbyists are not registered, therefore the estimates are too modest.

The study of this matter is particular relevant these days because Microsoft spends endless amounts of money and effort trying to defeat competition like Google using lobbyists. At the same time, based on last week's news, Microsoft's patent troll Nathan Myhrvold is funding lobbyists who in turn fight for software patents.

An article in CongressDaily's AM Edition on Friday notes that Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., is an opponent of legislation intended to rework how patents are granted and litigated in the United States. Rohrabacher said at a House Science Committee hearing that the measures currently moving through the House and Senate have been driven by major high-tech firms that are "trying to destroy the patent system." The story points out that Rohrabacher's top 2008 campaign donor was Intellectual Ventures, a firm founded by Nathan Myhrvold, a former Microsoft executive who has been highly critical of changing the patent system. He also accepted money from manufacturers -- another sector that has panned portions of the legislation.

Bill Gates too is gradually becoming a patent troll. But to what extent are Bill and his father (Bill) also politicians? Let's find out.

Here is a glimpse at some numbers and also an overview:

Microsoft Corp is the world’s top computer software company. It is also one of the biggest campaign contributors in Washington—an astounding fact when you consider that Microsoft is a relatively new player on the political scene. Prior to 1998, the company and its employees gave virtually nothing in terms of political contributions. But when the Justice Department launched an antitrust investigation into the company’s marketing of its popular Windows software, things changed. The company opened a Washington lobbying office, founded a political action committee and soon became one of the most generous political givers in the country. The move eventually galvanized an entire industry, as computer and Internet companies quickly moved to emulate Microsoft’s political savvy.

"The list [...] gives the overall figures on how much Microsoft has given to political parties in the USA since the DOJ trial. The most of any company... 3.22 million in 2008," writes Chips, who also links to this invaluable list. According to the list, here are some of the more recent lobbyists for the firm of Bill Gates Sr.

3) Jack Abramoff Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

33) Thomas Allison Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

76) Gretchen Asmuth Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

81) Larry Ayres Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

111) Kelli Barron Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

146) Amy Berger Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

179) Jonathan Blank Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

213) Todd Boulanger Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

238) Werner Brandt Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

318) Amy Carlson Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

374) Chris Coakley Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

405) Elizabeth Connell Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

407) Darrell Conner Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

422) Stephen Cooper Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

462) William Davenport Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

472) Robert Davis Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

590) Michael Evans Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

663) Dick Ford Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

707) David Funderburk Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

723) Pamela Garvie Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

729) Susan Geiger Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

782) Slade Gorton Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

890) Bruce Heiman Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

895) Lisa Helpert Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1007) Glenn Ivey Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1025) William Jarrell Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1105) Will Keyser Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1133) Stacy Knowlton Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1184) Lawrence Latourette Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1237) Ellen Livingston Behan Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1250) John Longstreth Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1320) Tricia Markwood Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1325) Rolf Marshall Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1369) Gregory McCarthy Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1404) Lloyd Meeds Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1425) Benjamin Milder Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1433) Eugene Miller Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1479) Roger Morse Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1483) Sol Mosher Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1497) William Myhre Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1536) Ralph Nurnberger Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1560) Cindy Omalley Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1562) Michael Oneil Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1593) Connie Partoyan Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1608) Tim Peckinpaugh Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1640) Heather Pichelman Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1653) Patrick Pizzella Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1762) Yvette Robitaille Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1794) Emanuel Rouvelas Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1807) Mark Ruge Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1843) Michael Scanlon Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1882) Chad See Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1919) William Shook Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1952) Alan Slomowitz Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1972) Shirley Smits Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

1978) Michael Soussan Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2013) Dennis Stephens Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2014) Martin Stern Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2015) Michael Stern Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2018) Paul Stimers Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2087) W Thomas Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2143) Steven Valentine Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2154) Shawn Vasell Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

2183) G Walker Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP

Wow. That's a lot of people.

This firm is doing a lot of work for Microsoft, but maybe not anymore (not in the future).

How about those working directly for Microsoft? Well, here is what we have in this one particular list:

145) Marc Berejka Microsoft Corp.

220) Paula Boyd Microsoft Corp.

236) Betsy Brady Microsoft Corp.

278) Marland Buckner Microsoft Corp.

730) Matt Gelman Microsoft Corp.

811) Bill Guidera Microsoft Corp.

958) James Houton Microsoft Corp.

999) Ed Ingle Microsoft Corp.

1089) John Kelly Microsoft Corp.

1154) Jack Krumoltz Microsoft Corp.

1313) Susan Mann Microsoft Corp.

1569) Lori Otto Microsoft Corp.

1595) Pamela Passman Microsoft Corp.

1768) Tom Roesser Microsoft Corp.

1800) Ira Rubinstein Microsoft Corp.

1827) Bill Sample Microsoft Corp.

1828) John Sampson Microsoft Corp.

2098) Fred Tipson Microsoft Corp.

2106) Frank Torres Microsoft Corp.

So now we have a decent list of Microsoft lobbyists or lobbyists related to Bill Gates Sr. and his firm which worked for Microsoft. This list is partial and incomplete, but at least it's something. What might also be useful are examples of activities and links to prior posts about them. In the site Wiki we shall start creating profiles for their various activities (hopefully some time in the future).

Here is another informative page that Chips shared with us:

Top Contributor to Member - 133 match(es) found (Show all matches):

2010 Cycle

* Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Judd Gregg (R)) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Olympia J Snowe (R)) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Edward M Kennedy (D)) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Charles B Rangel (D)) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Jay Inslee (D))

Top Contributor to Candidate - 36 match(es) found (Show all matches):

2010 Cycle

* Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Hillary Clinton (D)) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Suzan DelBene (D))

2008 Cycle

* Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Larry Wayne Ishmael (R)) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Al Franken (D)) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: William James Breazeale (R))

Top Contributor to Party Committee - 2 match(es) found:

2010 Cycle

* Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Democratic National Cmte) * Microsoft Corp (Recipient: Republican Party Committees)

Among all these lists we also have a list of money given by Microsoft to congress members, by name. "Bill truly owns the USA," Chips wrote. Looking at particular people one by one would easily prove fruitful. Take Todd Boulanger for example. "A little googling on those names will most likely return a heap of dirt," Chips asserts.

There is a lot of embarrassing stuff one can find about them using the Internet. Here is one example of a scandal:

Gregg: Ex-staffer caught up in corruption probe

[...]

Staffer F was cited in a guilty plea last week by Todd Boulanger, a former deputy to Abramoff. In federal court, Boulanger admitted he plied the staffer with front-row tickets to a hockey game, meals and drinks and other tickets to a baseball game, and in exchange received favors in spending legislation.

Need anything more be said about Abramoff and the Gates family? The main difference is that he is in prison whereas they are not. ⬆

“Did you know that there are more than 34,750 registered lobbyists in Washington, D.C., for just 435 representatives and 100 senators? That's 64 lobbyists for each congressperson.”

--CIO.com