Changes

In September, 2010, two national watchdog groups, [[U.S. Chamber Watch]] and [http://www.velvetrevolution.us/stop_chamber/ StopTheChamber.com], filed complaints with the U.S. [[Internal Revenue Service]] asking the agency to investigate the [[U.S. Chamber of Commerce]] for criminal fraud and money laundering. The groups allege that the Chamber illegally funneled donations from a wealthy charitable foundation into its political battles. Chamber Watch said that $12 million of an $18 million donation that the wealthy [[Starr Foundation]] [http://www.velvetrevolution.us/stop_chamber/images/irs_complaint_9_10_10.pdf gave] (pdf) gave to the National Chamber Foundation was in the form of loans that have never been repaid. Chamber Watch says the money was diverted to finance political causes, including [[tort reform]], to shield companies like [[AIG]] from liability lawsuits. The [[Starr Foundation]] was founded by [[Cornelius Vander Starr]], the insurance entrepreneur who also founded [[AIG]]. The Foundation's Chairman of the Board of Directors is [[Maurice R. Greenberg]], former President and CEO of AIG. The Foundation's Director (and Treasurer) is Howard I. Smith, AIG's former Chief Financial Officer. StopTheChamber.com says it was contacted by a Chamber whistleblower [http://www.velvetrevolution.us/stop_chamber/images/COC_DOJ_Letter8410.pdf who described] (pdf) how Chamber CEO [[Tom Donohue]] is "scamming [business] clients to serve his own interests rather than the interests of the business community." The insider compared Donohue to [[Jack Abramoff]] and [[Bernie Madoff]]. He also alleged that Donohue does not fear the [[Federal Elections Commission]] or Congress, and has a plan set up to attack the [[U.S. Department of Justice]] if the agency ever tries to investigate him.<ref>National Desk, [http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/185296 Watchdog Groups Request Criminal Fraud and Money Laundering Investigations against The U.S. Chamber], ''American Chronicle'', September 15, 2010.</ref>

===2006 Public Citizen Complaint===

===Climate Change Legislation===

{{#evp:youtube|vYGcIhNGSIY|The Yes Men's fake press conference|left|300}}

====Citizen action against the Chamber of Commerce's stance on climate change====

=====Yes Men stage fake Chamber of Commerce press conference=====

=====Grassroots campaigns against the Chamber=====

===Employee Free Choice Act===

===Opposition to Paid Sick Leave===

==National Chamber Foundation==

The Chamber has taken a lead role in the [[tort reform]] movement. It sponsors the [[Institute for Legal Reform]] (ILR), a [[501(c)6]] organization, and [[Legal Reform Now]], a coalition of business associations, [[think tanks]], and legal reform groups. Website: http://www.instituteforlegalreform.com/

===Opposing "activist judges"===

====''Madison County Record'' (Illinois)====

Birnbuam pointed to a "recent front page[that] carried an assortment of stories about lawsuits against businesses. In one, a woman sought $15,000 in damages for breaking her nose at a haunted house. In another, a woman sued a restaurant for $50,000 after she hurt her teeth on a chicken breast. ... Nowhere was it reported that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce created the ''Record'' as a weapon in its multimillion-dollar campaign against lawyers who file those kinds of suits," Birnbaum wrote.<ref name="suit"/>

===Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act===

==Trade==

===TradeRoots===

Website: http://www.traderoots.org/<br>

==Coal and Energy==

===Chamber distributes books on energy to children===

The energy industry has a long history of working to get its perspective into classrooms. In the 1970s, for example, [[nuclear power]] officials distributed comic books in schools as it dealt with the [[PR]] fallout from the near meltdown at [[Three Mile Island]]. And [[BP]] helped develop environmental lesson plans in California, the Sacramento Bee reported last month. The posters and worksheets that the Chamber will be sending out to schools aross the country is based on statistics from the U.S. [[Energy Information Administration]], and the assignments are mostly aimed at teaching students how to use charts and graphs to convey where U.S. energy comes from and how it is used.<ref name=jv/>

===Chamber's Institute for Energy===

"Jones will head the [[Institute for Energy]], which is to present itself as a [[Astroturf|grassroots]] organization. The Chamber went a similar path with the creation of the Institute for Legal Reform." Jones will focus on [[global warming]] and seek "to 'unify energy stakeholders behind a common strategy' to produce affordable and secure supplies while protecting the environment," reported ''O'Dwyer's'', quoting Chamber president Tom Donohue.<ref name="Jones"/>

===National gas tax===

==Other issues==

The Campaign said that "a government-run plan that would have broad and unrivaled power to negotiate for low-cost services of doctors and other health care providers could put private insurers out of business."

===SCHIP veto===

===Immigration amnesty and reform===

===Social Security===

The Chamber ranks first in lobbying spending in the past decade, with [[General Electric]] ranking second at $161 million, according to the [[Center for Responsive Politics]].<ref>Dan Morain, [http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-money18oct18,1,2554878.story "Tinseltown filling campaign coffers. Democrats are reaping the benefits of wealthy and glamorous donors while entertainment executives hope to be heard in Washington,"] ''Los Angeles Times'', October 18, 2007.</ref>

===Election cycle spending===

Other spending reported by ''Political Money Line'' or ''Open Secrets'':

*In 2003, $34.6 million total was spent by the Chamber and ILR. For the period 7/1/03 to 6/30/04 they spent $47.8 million.

*In 2002, $41.56 million total was spent by the Chamber and ILR. For the period 7/1/02 to 6/30/03 they spent $45.6 million.

==The Chamber and large corporations==

In 2010, chambers in San Antonio, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut began publicly moving away from the U.S. Chamber, disavowing the 2010 political attack ads that the U.S. Chamber had been broadcasting in their communities. Newer chambers, like the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce, have declined to affiliate with the national group and have been among its most vocal critics: "They get the majority of their funding from big businesses. That's who drives their decisions," explains Executive Director Frank Knapp, noting that, unlike the U. S. Chamber, his group supported the health care bill and financial reform, and favors legislation to curb [[global warming]].<ref name=sm/>

==Alleged spying on critics==

</ref> In early February of 2011, the activist group [[Anonymous]] hacked the firm's website, copied tens of thousands of documents from HBGary, posted tens of thousands of company emails online, and usurped Barr's Twitter account.<ref name="arstechnicacom2">

==Chamber campaigns==

*[[Alliance for Energy and Economic Growth]]

*[[Business Civic Leadership Center]] (BCLC)

*[[Global Intellectual Property Center]] (GIPC), [[Caroline Joiner]], executive director<ref name="fibre"/>

*[[Institute for a Competitive Workforce]] (ICW), [[Jan Magill]], director of strategic partnerships<ref>Nell Luter Ford, [http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071021/BIZ/710210362/1005 "Still a job to do,"] ''The Clarion-Ledger'', October 21, 2007.</ref>

*[[Institute for Energy]]

==Senior management==

*[[Thomas J. Donohue]] - President and CEO

*[[David C. Chavern]] - Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

*[[John Sullivan]] - Executive Director, Center for International Private Enterprise

*[[Agnes Warfield-Blanc]] - Senior Vice President, Development

==Contact information==