Democratic U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, who represents Iowa's Third
Congressional District and who last week voted to amend the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA), received $10,000 in
campaign contributions from the nation's largest telecommunications
companies this year. The telecommunication industry was a huge
supporter of the bill, which includes a provision that could grant
telecom companies that cooperated with the government's warrantless
electronic surveillance program retroactive legal immunity. In March,
the House passed an amendment that rejected retroactive immunity. But
last week, 94 Democratic lawmakers, including Boswell, switched their
positions and the bill which included immunity passed.

Labels: campaign finance, U.S. House