U.S. Political Contributions, Disclosure & Trade Associations

The success of GE depends significantly on sound public policies in the United States at the national, state and local levels. Governments, through advancing their legitimate regulatory and political interests, affect the environment in which GE operates. Every day, issues vital to GE’s ability to recognize value for the Company’s stakeholders are debated and decided in the U.S. Congress, in state legislatures and in local forums across the country — issues such as trade, taxes, energy, healthcare, environment and legal liability, to name a few. That is why GE participates in the political process through contributions from the GE Political Action Committee (GEPAC) and through Company contributions where legal and appropriate under state law.

GE and GEPAC make bipartisan contributions to political candidates and initiatives that support strong public policy, promote sustainable growth and robust markets and, at the same time, promote innovation and the interests of the industries in which GE operates. In making contributions, we naturally evaluate a candidate’s positions on issues of concern to the Company. Our contributions, however, are not based on the personal preferences of individual Company leaders. We base our contribution decisions on the best interests of the Company, what we believe is sound public policy and, in the United States, on what we believe to be the best interests of the United States. Among the factors that we weigh in determining which candidates and initiatives to support, GE and GEPAC representatives balance the views promoted by a candidate, the quality and effectiveness of the candidate or organization to which the contribution is made and the appropriateness of the GE level of involvement in the election. With respect to particular candidates, the Company considers, among other factors:

• The personal characteristics of a particular candidate (including the candidate’s integrity and effectiveness)
• Whether the candidate sits on a committee that addresses legislation affecting GE businesses or the global economy
• Whether the candidate represents a state or district within which a GE business operates or is located
• The candidate’s committee standing and ranking
• The candidate’s elected political leadership position and voting record

GE Contributions

As part of its oversight role in public policy and corporate social responsibility, the Public Responsibilities Committee of the board of directors reviews — at least — annually the Company’s policies and practices related to political contributions, contributions to campaigns and contributions to trade associations and other tax-exempt and similar organizations that may engage in political activity. The Public Responsibilities Committee also receives and reviews, semiannually, reports on the Company’s political spending, including political contributions and contributions to trade associations and other tax-exempt and similar organizations that may engage in political activity. The Public Responsibilities Committee will issue a report annually on the Company’s political spending.

Federal U.S. law prohibits companies from contributing to candidates for federal office, but many states allow corporate contributions to state and local candidates, committees, political organizations and ballot issue campaigns. As described in the Company’s code of conduct, The Spirit & The Letter, any contribution of Company funds or other assets for political purposes in the United States must be approved in advance by the GE vice president for government relations. Political contributions made with Company funds outside the United States must be approved by both the GE vice president for government relations and the vice president for international law and policy, or by their designees. The Company also maintains a Corporate Oversight Committee comprising five senior GE officers and leaders to oversee GE policies governing corporate political contributions and contribution activity. The Corporate Oversight Committee receives reports on GE political contribution activities regularly from the GE vice president for government relations.

In 2010, GE contributed $1,380,845 to political candidates, political organizations such as governors’ associations and state political parties, and/or ballot initiatives. The recipients and amounts of those contributions are detailed in our political contributions report. All contributions are reviewed for adherence to Company policy as described above. GE also belongs to a number of trade associations at the national, state and local levels. For each association from which GE receives a notice that the association has spent or will spend $25,000 or more of GE payments in a fiscal year on nondeductible lobbying and/or political expenditures under Internal Revenue Code Section 162(e), we will ask the trade association to identify the portion of those payments used to fund independent expenditures expressly advocating for or against candidates in elections for public office. We will include in our political contributions report any responses we receive to such requests.

Independent Expenditures

GE has a long-standing practice of not using corporate resources for the direct funding of independent expenditures expressly advocating for or against candidates in elections for public office. In 2010, the Public Responsibilities Committee adopted this practice as a formal policy.

GEPAC Contributions

GE has long had political action committees so that GE employees, acting together, can support candidates who share the Company’s interests, values and goals. GE employees manage GEPAC in a way that is completely consistent with the Company’s commitment to integrity.

GEPAC is an independent, nonpartisan, voluntary fund supported by GE employees who choose to participate in the political process by pooling their resources to elect candidates who share the values and goals of the Company and its employees. GEPAC raises voluntary contributions from eligible GE employees and supports candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and selected state candidates. In addition, contributions to certain national party organizations are made when appropriate. GEPAC also makes contributions to certain state office candidates ,so long as federal PAC contributions to state candidates are permitted in accordance with state laws. These states currently include Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.

A committee made up of employees nominated from GE businesses and corporate components directs contributions. The GEPAC Board sets overall budget targets, and day-to-day decisions are delegated to a subcommittee of the GEPAC Board. GEPAC retains counsel to ensure compliance with the spirit and letter of all applicable laws and regulations.

In 2010, GEPAC raised just over $1.4 million from more than 4,000 employees and contributed $1,276,950 to federal and $126,250 to state candidates in the United States. The Federal Election Commission regulates GEPAC’s activities. Reports detailing its activities are available on the FEC Web site: www.fec.gov.

In February 2011, GE established a PAC supported exclusively by GE employees who are subject to SEC, MSRB and/or other rules that affect political contributions by certain financial professionals. This new PAC will contribute only to federal incumbent candidates. The GEPAC Board will govern and oversee this new “federal only” PAC and will work with counsel to ensure compliance with the spirit and letter of all applicable laws and regulations.