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Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has accepted money from tobacco industry lobbyists while he has been campaigning for the U.S. Senate as an anti-tobacco crusader.
The contributions are few and represent only several thousand dollars out of the $2 million-plus in individual contributions that the Democratic frontrunner’s campaign reported through May 1. The small handful of political donations stand out, however, because of the attorney general’s aggressive and high-profile stands against the industry.
Blumenthal regularly accuses tobacco companies of selling addiction, disease and death. He hasn’t hesitated to sue them. In 1998, the attorney general helped broker the landmark $206 billion settlement between 46 states and the four biggest biggest U.S. cigarette makers — Altria Group Inc.’s Philip Morris USA, Reynolds American Inc., Brown & Williamson Tobacco and Lorillard Inc. The state of Connecticut’s share is $5.5 billion.
Based on his credentials and rhetoric, Blumenthal would seem the last candidate who would accept contributions from the tobacco industry. A review of the 1,504 individual contributions to his Senate campaign found otherwise, however.
The Republican-American identified contributions from at least seven industry lobbyists during the first four months of his campaign. Together, they contributed $3,500. Two other contributors are partners in a national law firm that has earned nearly $20 million from lobbying for Lorillard Inc. in the last decade. They gave another $2,000 to Blumenthal.
The Blumenthal campaign is now returning three of the contributions and reviewing the others to determine whether to also give those donations back.
Campaign officials declined to make Blumenthal available to answer questions. Campaign manager Mindy Myers said in a statement that campaign was not aware of these nine contributors’ connections to the tobacco industry.
Myers had said initially that the contributions are consistent with the campaign’s fund-raising guidelines and meet every requirement of the campaign finance laws. However, the campaign subsequently decided to revise its self-imposed rules.
Blumenthal had been refusing money from people who work directly and exclusively for tobacco companies. None of the contributors in question appear to fall into the category because they have multiple clients. As of Monday, the campaign will now no longer accept contributions from lobbyists or others in the pay of tobacco companies, said Maura Downes, a campaign spokeswoman.
She said Blumenthal will continue to decline contributions from subordinates, members of law firms under contract with the attorney general’s office, or parties involved in litigation with his office. Myers said none of these nine lobbyists and lawyers who made the contributions in question have any interests pending before the attorney general’s office.
“The tobacco companies and the people of Connecticut know where Dick Blumenthal stands on these issues, and anyone contributing to his campaign is aware of his strong advocacy and leadership against the tobacco industry,” Myers said.
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source: rep-am.com