Pendragon
01-28-2012, 07:00 PM
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jan/27/royal-bank-scotland-washington-lobbyists
The Royal Bank of Scotland (http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/royalbankofscotlandgroup) has spent more than $4m (£2.5m) of British taxpayers' money on lobbyists in Washington since it was bailed out by the government, documents disclose.
Both in-house and commercial lobbyists have been paid to influence American senators and congressmen reforming US finance law since the bank's collapse and government bailout in October 2008.
The money has been handed over despite calls from ministers for RBS and other banks that have received taxpayers' handouts to refrain from hiring public affairs firms.
It comes amid criticism (http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jan/27/anger-grows-rbs-chiefs-bonus) of the decision to give the bank's chief executive, Stephen Hester, almost £1m in a bonus this year.
According to the documents, the bank spent $4.13m from October 2008 to December 2011 on lobbyists as it tried to influence three different areas of legislation.
-snip-
This is OUTRAGEOUS.
The Royal Bank of Scotland (http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/royalbankofscotlandgroup) has spent more than $4m (£2.5m) of British taxpayers' money on lobbyists in Washington since it was bailed out by the government, documents disclose.
Both in-house and commercial lobbyists have been paid to influence American senators and congressmen reforming US finance law since the bank's collapse and government bailout in October 2008.
The money has been handed over despite calls from ministers for RBS and other banks that have received taxpayers' handouts to refrain from hiring public affairs firms.
It comes amid criticism (http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jan/27/anger-grows-rbs-chiefs-bonus) of the decision to give the bank's chief executive, Stephen Hester, almost £1m in a bonus this year.
According to the documents, the bank spent $4.13m from October 2008 to December 2011 on lobbyists as it tried to influence three different areas of legislation.
-snip-
This is OUTRAGEOUS.