Tobacco Firms’ Party Contributions Soar

WASHINGTON — The nation’s tobacco companies gave $2 million to political parties in the first half of this year--nearly five times what they gave in the same, normally slack, period of 1993, the year after the previous presidential election.

The lion’s share went to the GOP.

“The increase is astounding,” said Ann McBride, president of the private advocacy group Common Cause, which compiled the figures from Federal Election Commission reports.

News of the donations comes at a sensitive time for the tobacco companies. They have faced accusations that they lied about smoking’s dangers, and they are hoping for congressional approval of a $368.5-billion settlement that would place severe limits on future smoking-related lawsuits.

Seven tobacco companies and two tobacco groups gave nearly $1.6 million to Republican committees and $324,461 to Democratic groups in the first half of this year, according to Common Cause’s analysis. That compares with $413,865 for both parties for the same period four years ago. These donations, commonly known as soft money, can be used only for party activities, not for specific candidates.

The two major parties received $4 million from tobacco interests during the 1996 election year, when political fund-raising was at a peak. The first six months after a presidential election normally are slow for fund-raising.

Common Cause, which advocates tighter control over political money, said cigarette giant Philip Morris Cos. led the pack in the first half of the year, giving $673,715 to Republican committees and $120,823 to Democratic committees. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and its parent, RJR Nabisco Holdings Corp., gave $340,000 to GOP groups and $90,573 to Democratic groups.

Philip Morris and RJR gave a total of just $111,000 to the two parties in the six months after the 1992 election, according to Common Cause.

Philip Morris had no comment on the donations, spokeswoman Darienne Dennis said.

Maura Ellis, spokeswoman for RJR, said the company is being solicited more for donations than it was after the 1992 election.

The surge in donations this year is not surprising, say campaign finance experts, who noted the tobacco industry’s image problems. Cigarette companies have been accused of aiming advertising at children and of attempting to hide the dangers and addictiveness of smoking.

The companies also need to bolster support for the settlement proposal, which could save them billions of dollars in smoking-related litigation. If Congress approves, lawsuits against them by dozens of state and local governments would be dropped, and cigarette makers would pay $368.5 billion in penalties.

Each election cycle, special interests pour more soft money than before into the political system. Such donations are not subject to the $25,000-a-year contribution limit for each donor.