BP Back in Politics, T-Paw Makes it Official and More in Capital Eye Opener: May 24 http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2011/05/your-daily-dose-of-news.html

And after months of little or no activity, BP's political action committee has pulled out its checkbook once again, writing two checks to congressmen in April, according to the most recent campaign finance documents it filed with the Federal Elections Commission. Reps. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) and Michael Burgess (R-Texas) received $1,000 checks each from the BP PAC. In past election cycles, both have benefited from large contributions made by the people and PACs associated with oil companies. 

But Burgess' Campaign Manager Kim Garza told OpenSecrets Blog in an email that her boss has returned BP PAC's check -- and he'll return all future contributions from the company. Burgess, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, raised more than a $1 million during the 2010 election cycle. He received $58,600 of those funds from the oil and gas industry.

Burgess' actions fall in line with those of other congressmen who also rejected contributions from the BP PAC..BP PAC's most recent disclosure document lists as "uncashed" a $5,000 check it wrote to Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, in March.The documents also show that dozens of BP employees -- from the vice president of government and public affairs to its attorneys, engineers, analysts and other executives -- are forgoing small portions of their monthly earnings to contribute to the BP PAC, which had $354,799 on hand through April.