04/09/10 Greenwich Resident Linda McMahon has paid lobbyists over a million dollars to secure millions in taxpayer subsidies for her wrestling empire

WWE spent $1M on 'educating' politicians in past decade - GreenwichTime: "

WASHINGTON — In her bid for the U.S. Senate, Linda McMahon has taken pains to depict herself as an outsider — someone who would arrive in the nation’s capital unburdened by special interests and corporate cash...."

.....But the former wrestling impresario is no stranger to the ways of Congress.

Over the past nine years, McMahon’s family business, Stamford-based World Wrestling Entertainment, spent just over $1 million lobbying the House, Senate and federal agencies, according to disclosure forms filed with Congress.

Meanwhile, the company last year paid more than $50,000 to Hartford-based Sullivan & LeShane to lobby Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s administration and the state legislature while the WWE worked to secure more than $2 million in film and television production credits......

......The company’s spending in Washington includes at least $100,000 that WWE paid lobbying firms in 2001 and 2002 to convince lawmakers and the Defense Department about the “benefits to advertising on (WWE) programming.”......

.....Also in the tally: lobbying to shape legislation by Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., that would have ramped up the federal government’s power to regulate the marketing of adult-rated materials to minors and launched a widespread study of the entertainment industry’s marketing practices.

The biggest chunk of change — $340,000 — was delivered to Washington lobbying firm K&L Gates in 2007 and 2008, to help the WWE navigate a congressional investigation of steroid use in sports.....

===========================

Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com