Campaign Contributions By Tobacco Interests

Abstract

The tobacco industry gave $9,424,612 in soft and PAC money to federal candidates, political parties and other political action committees in the 2001-2002 election cycle (from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2002)1. So far in the 2003-2004 election cycle, the tobacco industry has given$665,751 in PAC contributions to federal candidates, political parties and other political action committees. As enacted, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 prohibits national political parties and federal candidates and officeholders from raising soft money. Therefore, this report refers to soft money donations prior to November 6, 2002. On May 2, 2003, a three-judge panel for the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia issued a mixed ruling on key provisions of the campaign finance law. A final decision on the constitutionality of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, including the ban on soft money fundraising by the national parties, will be decided byTobacco companies, along with tobacco company executives and employees, donated $6,033,226 in soft money to the Democratic and Republican parties in the 2001-2002 election cycle. Eighty (80) percent of these soft money donations ($4,813,166) went to Republican party committees and 20 percent of the soft money contributions ($1,220,060) went to Democratic party committees. Nearly half (45 percent) of these soft money donations from tobacco companies • In the 2001-2002 election cycle, tobacco company PACs donated$2,408,404 directly to federal candidates, with 77 percent ($1,857,094) of the total donations going to Republican candidates. So far in the 2003-2004 election cycle, these PACs have donated$329,500 directly to federal candidates. Sixty-four (64) percent of these contributions went to Republican candidates