FEDERAL LAW COULDN'T be clearer: Corporations are prohibited from donating to federal political campaigns. Case closed? Not quite. As is often the case in Washington, there are the rules and then there are the loopholes. Corporations and their political action committees can curry favor in various ways without violating the letter of the law. Some are well-known: underwriting lavish Presidential nominating conventions and making large gifts to politicians' favorite charities or personal "leadership" committees. But more obscure loopholes exist that you probably haven't heard of, such as the one companies use to fly Senator Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and other lawmakers in style and comfort.
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