Comcast’s employment of politicians’ family members drew concern ...
Comcast’s employment of politicians’ family members drew concern from a union critical of the firm’s corporate governance. The cable operator paid an undisclosed amount to the wife of Md. Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R) to host a VoD talk show,…
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The Washington Post reported Tues. “We have been concerned about the employment of Ehrlich’s wife,” said Tony Daley, a CWA economist who follows the firm. “This is like Comcast paying to play in Maryland.” Comcast also hired 2 sons of former state Sen. Bromwell (D-Baltimore County), who was involved in cable legislation, said the Post. The report comes amid investor concern about companies’ ties to politicians. “The public wants assurance that these kinds of employment arrangements don’t compromise public officials’ independent judgment about policy matters,” said Carol Bowie, vp-Institutional Shareholder Services. “It can be difficult to judge when an employment arrangement raises conflicts,” she said, adding that corporate political contributions have drawn sustained investor scrutiny. A Comcast spokesman said all hiring was done “in accordance with customary hiring practices” and consultants were hired “based on their areas of expertise and ability to deliver on specific work requests.”