Google’s 2012 PAC spending nears $1 million

by Jennifer Martinez - 10/22/12 11:33 PM ET

Of note, a PAC supporting Utah Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz, called Friends of Jason Chaffetz, contributed $3,000 to Google’s PAC in September.

The search company’s PAC wrote checks to a mix of Democratic and Republican candidates, but gave $5,000 contributions to about twice as many GOP candidates as Democratic ones in September. That included Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), who is locked in a tough reelection race against Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren, and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). House GOP members Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and others also received $5,000 from the PAC, as did Ted Cruz, a Senate Republican candidate in Texas.

Meanwhile, the PAC gave $5,000 each to Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.), as well as Reps. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).

Facebook’s PAC, on the other hand, contributed less money to campaigns during the July-October period than it did during previous quarters this year, according to the FEC.

The social network’s PAC gave $73,500 to congressional campaigns from the beginning of July to the end of September. That’s $1,000 less than the PAC doled out from April to June and nearly $45,500 less than it gave to candidates during the first three months of 2012.

The social network’s year-old PAC has contributed $267,000 to campaigns so far this year.

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) received the largest contribution from Facebook’s PAC in September, a total of $5,000.

Facebook’s PAC contributed $2,500 each to a few more Democrats than Republicans in September, including Sens. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Gillibrand. On the Republican side, the candidates who received $2,500 from Facebook’s PAC included Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.).

Additionally, Reps. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), Steve Scalise (R-La.), Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Mel Watt (D-N.C.) each received $2,000 in contributions.