The K Street Shuffle: Tool shows how Minnesota companies influence political process

The Sunlight Foundation just launched a new tool called the Influence Explorer that breaks down public data on how companies try to influence the political process.

The data includes campaign donations, PAC donations and lobbyist bundling.

Here are some local examples:

Target Corporation has lobbied against labor, food standards and credit card fees. The corporation gave over $6.3 million in political donations between 1989-2012 (click image to enlarge).

Source: Income Explorer, Sunlight Foundation

3M has given $4.2 million to political campaigns between 1989-2012, most of it, 67 percent to Republicans.

Source: Influence Explorer, Sunlight Foundation

Best Buy has also given $1.8 million between 1989-2012, much of it in later years. That company too has given disproportionately to Republicans, with 65 percent going to the GOP and only 12 to Democrats (the rest are identified as other). The company lobbied on issues like the Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act of 2010 and the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.

Source: Influence Explorer, Sunlight Foundation