Disney "Bribes" the California Legislature

Legal Bribery - Disney gives $125,000 in free tickets to California legislators

• The Legislature kills a bill this week that would have banned these "gifts".

QUESTION:  Is it a "bribe" when the legislature makes it legal?
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Many California families save for months to afford a trip to Disneyland. But many California legislators go for free, courtesy of the Walt Disney Company.

Since 2000, Disney has given about $125,000 in theme park tickets to legislators and their aides, according to a Bee review of records kept by the California Secretary of State. At current prices, that's equivalent to about 1,500 free tickets reports the Sacramento Bee.

A bill that died in committee Thursday would have largely banned such gifts. (Search all gifts to legislators and aides using our updated database.)

Some legislators gave their free tickets to aides. Some passed them on to constituents who couldn't otherwise afford to go. Many legislators, though, just took their families to Disneyland.

This chart shows current and former legislators taking the most free Disney tickets since 2000.

Tom Harman (R)
Audra Strickland (R)
Sam Aanestad (R)
Tom Berryhill (R)
Cameron Smyth (R)
Ron Calderon (D)
Mimi Walters (R)
Alberto Torrico (D)
Juan Vargas (D)
Roy Ashburn (R)
Tony Strickland (R)
Bob Margett (R)
Ed Chavez (D)
Don Perata (D)
Fabian Nunez (D)