Which Oscar nominees made political donations, and to whom?
Hollywood has long been intertwined with politics, especially Democratic causes. That holds true for most of the political cash donated by this year's Oscar nominees. A Best Supporting Actor candidate heads the list.
Morgan Freeman, left, portrays Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon portrays Francois Pienaar in a scene from the film "Invictus." Freeman and Damon, nominated for Oscars for their roles in the film, contributed campaign money to President Obama and other Democrats.
Keith Bernstein/Warner Bros./AP
Washington
This just in: Hollywood prefers Democrats.
This year’s Oscar nominees gave more than $400,000 to federal candidates and campaigns in the past 20 years – 87 percent to Democrats, according to a report by the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington.
Overall, the entertainment industry of TV, music, and movies has contributed $264.8 million to federal candidates and political parties over the past 10 years – 70 percent to Democrats, according to CRP data.
IN PICTURES: Oscar nominees: Who donated the most in politics
“The relationship between Hollywood and Washington has a longstanding, albeit rocky, history; actors have been among the most vocal political activists,” the report notes. (See a Monitor report on this year's Academy Award nominees here.)
The top-spending nominee for Oscars 2010 was Matt Damon, at $106,000 in political contributions, including $83,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
No. 2 is Lawrence Bender, producer of “Inglourious Basterds,” at $65,100, who barely edged out Best Actor nominee Jeff Bridges, at $64,800 – also all to Democrats.
