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‘Saturday Night Live’ Still Paying Out to Former Cast Member Who’s Now a Politician

May 28, 2013  •  Post A Comment

"Saturday Night Live" is still paying out for a former cast member who was on the show from 1975 through the mid-1990s and who currently serves as a Democratic senator from Minnesota, reports the New York Post.

Al Franken earned up to $50,000 in interest last year from Broadway Video Inc., which is owned by "SNL" executive producer Lorne Michaels, the story notes, citing Senate disclosure forms.

He also earned royalties from songwriting, performing, writing/producing and "SNL" merchandise, the piece adds. Franken, who is known for his "SNL" self-help guru Stuart Smalley, earns $174,000 a year as a senator.

7 Comments

  1. And this is worth reporting because…? They are selling items for which he performed and he still gets his percentage of the sales. No different from stocks you buy and still get dividends.

  2. It’s worth reporting as elected officials should have no outside income that could influence the way they vote. In the good old days when government officiating was a part time job, officials could be farm owners, ranchers, etc. But if they choose it to be their career, it should also be their only source of income, except for the bribes, gifts, donations, etc. from lobbyists, well-wishers, fund raisers, Political parties, etc. They did just pass the insider trading law for congress peeps – kind of makes you wonder why it had to separate from the law that put Martha Stewart in jail.

  3. Then Obama shouldn’t write books as he would then be influenced to support book stores and publishers? If they are going to enforce the law, it needs to be enforced on everyone the same.

  4. I do agree Obama shouldn’t write books, but the President doesn’t make the laws, he just signs them. He appears to have no influence over Congress anyway. I definitely agree elected officials should have to abide with the laws they pass, the same retirement and health benefits and they should be required to do their own taxes and not pay someone else to do them. A flat or fair tax would hopefully be the result.

  5. Congress just overturned that law in the past month, or so. They can go back to insider trading.
    Nothing wrong or unethical about a politician earning money for work done in the past.

  6. I hate to inform the uninformed but no law stops you or anyone else from receiving income/royalties for work done before or after becoming an elected official. It only applies (partially) when you are in office. I just wish I had a job that paid 6 figures and only had to work 1 day a week and fund raise the other 6. If you want to find fault with our system think about this. This system requires 1 day of work and 6 days trying to raise money from the very people you should be taxing and regulating. No matter which side of the aisle you sit on, this is wrong and is ruining our country.

  7. Tim, if you are directing this to me – what side of the aisle to you think I’m on? I would guess you must be a Democrat if you think the government’s job is taxing and regulating. I believe in a very limited government – part time, like it used to be – that stays out of the way of the people to keep the money they earn and only pay taxes on what they buy. It’s the Democrats that want to let the government take care of them while they get unemployment, disability, and smoke pot. And they are the ones that think if you are rich, you should give your money to those who won’t work. The ones that think that working one day a week making six figures is a right, not something that is earned. I would even support a volunteer, non-paid Congress and a President that can be fired by the stockholders (us) rather than Congress. Ignorance is bliss and that’s why we have our current government.

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