Don Young’s campaign PAC had more than $1.8 million on hand as of 12/31/2006. In the 2005-2006 election cycle, his PAC spent almost $2 million.

[Source: Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan, non-profit research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and its effect on elections and public policy. Note: The organizations themselves did not donate, rather the money came from the organization’s PAC, its individual members or employees or owners, and those individuals’ immediate families. Organization totals include subsidiaries and affiliates.]

Of Young’s five largest sources of funds in the most recent campaign cycle, two - Veco Corp. and Jht Holdings - are tainted by corruption scandals. Veco is the oil field service company whose executives Bill Allen and Richard Smith pled guilty to bribing Alaska legislators. Since 1989 Young has received more than $200,000 from VECO employees, his largest source of campaign funds.

Jht Holdings is the company of indicted Wisconsin businessman Dennis Troha. In 2005 Young sponsored legislation revising truck-hauling rules that benefited Troha.

Young’s fifth largest donor in 2005-2006 was Wal-Mart Stores, the world’s largest company as measured by sales. In 2006, Wal-Mart executives donated $14,000 to Young; this followed a $37 million earmark for a road upgrade to the company’s headquarters that Young sponsored in the 2005 transportation bill.

Over the years, interests in the oil and gas industry have given Rep. Young more than $900,000. [Contributions from oil and gas industries: www.opensecrets.org]

Since the Exxon Valdez disaster in May 1989, Don Young has received $915,763 from the Oil and Gas Industry. Rep. Young’s Top Contributors since the Exxon Valdez disaster are: #1 VECO Corp. - $125,650; #2 BP - $114,758; #6 VECO Inc. - $74,514 and #13 Exxon - $60,300. [source: Center for Responsive Politics]

In addition to his campaign account, Don’s “leadership PAC,” the Midnight Sun PAC, took in more than $343,000 in the last election cycle. Contributors to Young’s Midnight Sun PAC in 2005-2006 included former VECO executive Bill Allen ($5,000), who pled guilty to bribing Alaska lawmakers; Daniel Aronoff ($5,000), developer who benefited from Young’s Coconut Road earmark; Duane Gibson ($2,500), Young’s former aide with ties to Abramoff; and many consultants and businessmen from Arkansas, Texas and Florida, to mention just a few.

With the money donated to his leadership PAC, Young spent a lot of it to help Republican candidates. Young’s Midnight Sun PAC made contributions totaling $159,328 to Republican candidates for federal office in the 2005-2006 cycle. Recipients included former Ohio Congressman Bob Ney ($2,500), who pled guilty in the Abramoff scandal; former Rep. Duke Cunningham of California, who pled guilty to bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion (Young donated $5,000 to his “legal expense trust”); Rep. John Doolittle ($7,500), who is under federal investigation for his ties to Abramoff, and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay ($5,000), who has been indicted on criminal charges of money laundering and conspiracy to violate election laws in Texas.

[source: Center for Responsive Politics]