Ticketmaster’s troubled handling of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour prompted California lawmakers to spend months cracking down on the ticketing industry — while they enjoyed thousands of dollars worth of free tickets themselves from interest groups, a POLITICO analysis shows.

One assemblymember even appears to have accepted concert tickets to that very Swift tour, which prompted the effort to dismantle ticketing monopolies following backlash over Ticketmaster’s glitch-riddled sales rollout. She was later involved in legislative efforts to regulate the industry that ultimately stalled.

The findings are part of a wider POLITICO analysis of all 120 state lawmakers’ financial disclosures last year that found 66 state assemblymembers and senators received more than $30,000 total worth of tickets. The giveaways included entrance to Disneyland with mouse ears included, a music festival pass to see country music stars like Eric Church, and San Francisco 49ers seats. One of the biggest recipients of tickets to college sporting events also chairs the higher education committee.

  • PythagreousTitties@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    edit-2
    3 months ago

    The tickets were all listed on the forms they use to report gifts. There’s no leaking the gifts like you’re imagining.

    That’s all explained in the article.

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      3 months ago

      Just because they appear on a form doesn’t mean that the public knows about.

      A lot of graft gets covered up in bullshit that way.

      • PythagreousTitties@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        5
        ·
        edit-2
        3 months ago

        The forms are literally for informing the public about gifts received.

        I now know you haven’t even read the article, so talking to you about this is meaningless since all you seem to want to be is right. I was asking a serious question about the process, not looking to argue about whatever it is youre looking to argue about. Thanks for wasting my time.

        Enjoy the rest of your day.