Chervron Corporation's annual meeting this week was the scene of the most recent attempt by shareholders to get management to say how political contributions from the corporation benefit shareholders. A shareholder resolution called for a stop to the practice. The tactic of asking the question forces a company to either not answer the question, provide a soft general non-response, or admit that they pay funds to obtain specific government contracts or legislative results, which are a benefit to shareholders. A small seven figure contribution may help bring about a huge multi-million dollar return. (more…)
