Bezos' Blue Origin Hires Lobbyist Tied to Obama Admin After Space Tax Proposed

This year, the company spent over $1.3 million on lobbying, in addition to $2 million in 2020.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin hired Mac Campbell from Capitol Counsel - a lobbyist who had relations with the Obama administration, CBS reported. Campbell was an assistant US trade representative while working under Obama and then served as the general counsel and deputy staff director of the Senate Finance Committee.

According to a registration form, he was hired "to lobby on behalf of the company to “monitor and evaluate proposed changes to the Internal Revenue Code being considered by Congress as part of the budget reconciliation process".

The company decided it needs the lobbyist's services after US representative Earl Blumenauer, proposed a tax on space exploration firms. The Democratic lawmaker made his statement on 20 July - the day when Bezos himself went to space in Blue Origin's first crewed flight.

"Space exploration isn't a tax-free holiday for the wealthy. Just as normal Americans pay taxes when they buy airline tickets, billionaires who fly into space to produce nothing of scientific value should do the same, and then some", he said in a statement at the time. "I'm not opposed to this type of space innovation. However, things that are done purely for tourism or entertainment, and that don’t have a scientific purpose, should, in turn, support the public good".

The possible tax on space exploration is not the only problem some American corporations face now, as back in October Democratic lawmakers also unveiled a new plan to impose a 15% minimum corporate tax on the declared income of large corporations.