Talk:Verizon Communications

Verizon (NTSE: VZ) is a telecommunications company headquartered in New York (and incorporated in Delaware). The company formed in 2000 with the merger of Bell Atlantic Corp. and GTE Corp.

In 2011, Verizon had a total revenue of $110 billion.

In 2010, Verizon had total revenue of $106.6 billion. Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg received $18.2 million in total compensation that same year; Seidenberg is also a Director of Blackrock.

Verizon and the National Security Agency
On June 5, 2013, Glenn Greenwald of The Guardian reported on a top-secret court order requiring Verizon, "on an 'ongoing, daily basis' to give the NSA information on all telephone calls in its systems, both within the US and between the US and other countries." This court order was leaked to the press by Edward Snowden, an employee of Booz Allen Hamilton, a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).

Limiting Netflix Streaming to Help Redbox
In June, 2013, Verizon was accused of limiting their broadband customers' Netflix streaming capabilities in order to help a competing service, Redbox, in which it owns a 50% stake.

Ties to Pete Peterson's "Fix the Debt"
The Campaign to Fix the Debt is the latest incarnation of a decades-long effort by former Nixon man turned Wall Street billionaire Pete Peterson to slash earned benefit programs such as Social Security and Medicare under the guise of fixing the nation's "debt problem." is part of the Campaign to Fix the Debt as of February 2013.

This article is part of the Center for Media and Democracy's investigation of Pete Peterson's Campaign to "Fix the Debt." Please visit our main SourceWatch page on Fix the Debt.

Ties to American Legislative Exchange Council
Verizon is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). It has been on the corporate "Private Enterprise" board and is State corporate co-chair of Virginia and Wyoming. It has been a member of the ALEC Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force.

ALEC's Executive Director Ronald Scheberle worked "for 31 years as a key member of the Verizon and GTE Federal and State Governmental Affairs Advocacy Team."

Tax Dodging
From 2008 to 2010 Verizon paid an effective federal income tax rate of -2.9% shown in the report Corporate Taxpayers and Corporate Tax Dodgers. Verizon received $951 million in rebates, which put its federal tax subsidies at $12.3 billion. Verizon received at least $180.8 million in state and local subsidies in recent years - extracted in exchange for locating facilities and supposedly creating jobs. During the past three years, the total number of employees at Verizon has fallen by more than 40,000 and the company’s capital expenditures have declined by $1 billion. These subsidies did not lead to higher compensation for Verizon’s employees and the company is demanding more than $1 billion in wage and benefit concessions from its 45,000 union-represented workers.

Board of Directors
As of February, 2013
 * Richard L. Carrion
 * Joseph Neubauer
 * Melanie L. Healey
 * Donald T. Nicolaisen
 * M. Frances Keeth
 * Clarence Otis, Jr.
 * Robert W. Lane
 * Hugh B. Price
 * Lowell C. McAdam - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Verizon Communications Inc.
 * Rodney E. Slater
 * Sandra O. Moose
 * Kathryn A. Tesija

Key Executives & Compensation
As of December 30, 2012
 * Mr. Lowell C. McAdam, Chairman, Chief Exec. Officer, Pres and Chairman of The Verizon Wireless, $5.08M
 * Mr. Francis J. Shammo, Chief Financial Officer and Exec. VP, $1.53M
 * Mr. Randal S. Milch, Exec. VP of Public Policy and Gen. Counsel, $1.42M
 * Mr. John G. Stratton, Exec. VP and Pres of Verizon Enterprise, $1.48M
 * Mr. Daniel S. Mead, Exec. VP, Chief Exec. Officer of Verizon Wireless and Pres of Verizon Wireless, $1.81M

Political Contributions
In 2010, Verizon gave a total of $1.6 million to federal candidates. $783,541 to Democrats and $809,206 to Republicans. Of that total, $97,570 was given by individuals and $1.52 million was contributed by the PAC.

CEO Ivan Seidenberg contributed $32,000 to candidates in the 2010 election cycle. He was a "bundler" for John McCain (R)'s 2008 presidential campaign, raising approximately $117,850.

On June 30, 2011, the Center for Responsive Politics wrote, "Contributions to lawmakers and federal lobbying expenditures by telecommunications interests have spiked as a result of government intervention in the market. Facing potentially stifling federal regulations that threaten to short-circuit their profits, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile have each dumped millions of dollars into campaign contributions and federal lobbying expenditures, hoping that a barrage of political influence will subdue any unwanted restrictions."

Between 2009 and 2011, Verizon spent $2,686,585 on federal campaign contributions.

Past Elections
Verizon Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Seidenberg was a Bush Pioneer, having raised at least $100,000 for Bush in the 2004 presidential election.

Peter Davidson, Senior Vice President for Federal Government Relations (lobbyist) at Verizon, was a Bush Pioneer. Davidson passed twice through the government-industry revolving door serving as general counsel and policy director to then-House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas). Davidson then worked for Qwest Communications, then in the George W. Bush administration with the U.S. Trade Representative, then moving to Verizon.

Verizon gave $1,086,400 to federal candidates in the 05/06 election cycle through its political action committee (PAC) - 36% to Democrats, 63% to Republicans, and 1% to other parties.

Lobbying
In 2010, Verizon Communications spent $16,750,000 on lobbying expenditures. A full list of lobbyists used can be seen HERE.

Verizon spent $52.34 million on lobbying expenditures from 2008 to 2010, according to a December 2011 Public Campaign report on corporate lobbying expenditures as compared to federal taxes paid.

Verizon lobbied for over 110 bills in the House and Senate in 2010.

The company spent $13,050,000 for lobbying in 2006. About half of the money went for in-house lobbyists with the remainder being spent on over 40 lobbying firms, some of which were Federalist Group, Patton Boggs, Ernst & Young, Quinn Gillespie & Associates, Bryan Cave Strategies, DCI Group, Cassidy & Associates, The Livingston Group, Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, and Parry Romani DeConcini & Symms.

According to a Public Campaign report, Verizon spent $52.34 million on lobbying between 2008-2010. During the same time period, it received $951 million in tax rebates, and made $32.518 in US profits, meaning it paid a tax rate of -3%. Executive compensation also 167%, from $7,635,651 in 2008 to  $20,361,064 in 2010.

Contact details
140 West St. New York, NY 10007 Phone: 212-395-1000 Fax: 212-571-1897 Web: http://www22.verizon.com/

Related SourceWatch resources

 * Astroturf
 * Network neutrality

Featured SourceWatch Articles on Fix the Debt

 * Fix the Debt Portal Page
 * Fix the Debt's Leadership
 * Fix the Debt's Partner Groups
 * Fix the Debt's State Chapters
 * Fix the Debt's Lobbyists
 * Fix the Debt's Parent Group
 * Fix the Debt's Corporations
 * Pete Peterson
 * Peter G. Peterson Foundation
 * America Speaks
 * Simpson-Bowles Commission
 * Erskine Bowles
 * Alan Simpson
 * Social Security
 * Medicare
 * Medicaid

External articles

 * Jeff Tyler, "Faking the count: Verizon is among the phone companies fighting for the right to compete directly with cable companies", Marketplace, NPR, April 27, 2006.