Oracle in shit up to its ears
C|Net | at | by Mike
And you guys thought that Microsoft was bad, take a look at what Oracle has been up to - quietly bribing politicians. Nice for Microsoft case to provide smoke, so Oracle could go about its dirty business.
As questions mounted about a controversial contract between California and Oracle, a lobbyist for the database giant wrote a detailed memo encouraging the company to make a series of cash contributions to win the support of key state politicians. According to the e-mail, Oracle lobbyist Ravi Mehta encouraged Robert Hoffman, director of legislative affairs at the company, to "make contributions to a number of individuals who are presently in office or running in safe seats and will be elected to the California legislature next year." For example, the memo notes that one candidate for the assembly will "be an ardent supporter of Oracle when elected." At another point, Mehta asks whether Oracle would "consider making a charitable contribution [to] Stanford" and earmark it to support the son of a state senator who was a student at the university. The e-mail is likely to add fuel to a controversy that has already enmeshed top state politicians. Gov. Gray Davis and Attorney General Bill Lockyer have returned campaign contributions from Oracle in the wake of the scandal.