From time to time (especially when I been writing about campaign politics), I’ve looked into who is contributing money to our WV senators, Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin. For Republican Capito, I’ve found that the list of major donors has remained relatively consistent with fossil fuel interests dominating followed by a smattering of financial and health care companies. However, one company, Geo Group, has been a consistent contributor to Capito despite not being a member of either of these categories. Since 2018, for example, Open Secrets ranks Geo Group fourth behind three energy companies in its contributions to Capito.

So, who is Geo Group?

From the company’s webpage:

GEO provides complementary, turnkey solutions for numerous government partners worldwide across a spectrum of diversified correctional and community reentry services. From the development of state-of-the-art facilities and the provision of management services and evidence-based rehabilitation to the post-release reintegration and supervision of individuals in the community, GEO offers fully diversified, cost-effective services that deliver enhanced quality and improved outcomes.

The Wikipedia description is much clearer:

The GEO Group, Inc. (GEO) is a publicly traded C corporation that invests in private prisons and mental health facilities in the United States, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

So why has a private prison corporation invested in Capito?

During Trump’s first tenure as president, Senator Capito supported GEO as well as Trump’s immigration policies. In the past year, she has enthusiastically supported Trump’s re-election bid while regularly criticizing the Biden/Harris immigration policies. Here is a typical post from the senator on X:

Our wide open southern border has detrimental effects in all 50 states.

The #BidenBorderCrisis and the failures of “Border Czar” Kamala Harris have led to a rise in crime and a deadly flow of drugs into our communities.

We must secure our border. pic.twitter.com/72IECR7fQk

— Shelley Moore Capito (@SenCapito) November 3, 2024

Additionally, the senator had nothing to say when Trump told Republican House leaders to reject a bipartisan Senate bill that was praised by the U.S. Border Patrol agents’ union and the Wall Street Journal.

The payoffs have just begun

Geo Group’s first reward came midweek as its stock price increased more (in percentage) than any other stock on the day after our presidential election. Here is GEO’s weekly chart from CNN Business:

And did GEO invest in Trump?

They certainly did – early and often: GEO was the first corporation to reach its Trump donation limits:

The first corporation to max out to Donald Trump?

A private prison company. https://t.co/6xFBWQ2xFY

— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) July 22, 2024

GEO closed today at $25.36 -- a 77% increase from its $14.13 Monday’s opening. And earlier this afternoon, one investor advisory group raised the price target for the GEO Group from $16 to $37. GEO’s investment in Trump has paid off handsomely.

As the Executive Editor of The Prospect noted earlier today:

From me: A quick perusal of the highest stock gainers this week shows exactly what to expect from a second Trump term: pay-to-play deals, corporate back-scratching, and a public unprotected from scam artists. https://t.co/ozz11LDXIl

— David Dayen (@ddayen) November 8, 2024

I have a few additional concerns, but I’ll save them for another time.