Massive new study traces how corporations use charitable donations to tilt regulations in their favor

After a firm donates to a nonprofit organization, that group becomes more likely to comment on rules that the firm has also commented on. Second, the organization’s comments in those cases have more similarities with the firm’s comments than with comments from other nonprofit organizations not receiving money from the firm. And finally, when a firm and its grantees comment on a rule together, regulators’ final remarks on the rule are more likely to be in line with the firm’s comments on the rule.

By Christopher Ingraham