Of the 117 members of Congress who penned a letter to the White House in support of AT&T’s purchase of T-Mobile, 116 of them have received political donations totaling $963,275, from AT&T employees in the last two years.

And it’s not over yet. Bloomberg News points to the example of Texas representative Pete Olson, who will soon be the beneficiary of a fundraising luncheon, the “Telecommunications Industry Lunch,” backed by AT&T lobbyists, with suggested contributions of $2,500, $1,000 or $500 going to the Olson for Congress Committee.

“AT&T’s congressional support for its takeover of T-Mobile comes at a price,” says Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, to Bloomberg.

But a rep for the Death Star says that AT&T’s political backing of lawmakers like Olson has nothing to to with them penning the letter in support of the T-Mobile deal: “This letter simply urges the President to focus on creating jobs in America and bringing other jobs back from overseas to further strengthen our economic recovery.”

AT&T Gave $963,275 to Lawmakers in T-Mobile Bid [Bloomberg]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.