Three leaders in the congressional campaign to discourage Chinese oil company CNOOC Ltd.'s acquisition of Unocal Corp. accepted campaign contributions from rival suitor Chevron Corp. in recent weeks, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Rep. Richard W. Pombo (R-Tracy), Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) have been among the most vocal on Capitol Hill in criticizing CNOOC's proposed deal as anti-competitive and a threat to national security. The perception that Congress could delay or spike a CNOOC deal is viewed as a major factor in Unocal's decision to stick with Chevron despite its lower bid.
