August 11, 2005

With Friends Like These…

California's Controller Steve Westly was the 23rd employee of online auction giant eBay back in 1997, but it turns out he's not the politician to whom the company has given the most campaign cash.

That would be Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Yesterday, eBay gave the governor's California Recovery Team $50,000. It's the second time the Silicon Valley company has supported Schwarzenegger, after contributing $15,000 during the 2004 campaign season.

So what did Westly get from eBay? $10,000 this summer and $2500 last year.

Westly, who made his fortune as an eBay executive, just happens to be in the running for Schwarzenegger's job in 2006. And while he once supported some of the Schwarzenegger agenda, he's now more often a critic.