Democratic and Republican AG Associations Collecting Big Bucks

Corporate Counsel:

Midterm contribution records from Political MoneyLine show corporations gave big to both parties in the AG races. For instance, DAGA’s top contributors were unions such as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ($350,000), its top donor. But Altria Group Inc. ($200,000), the law firm of Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann ($155,000), Anthem Inc. ($150,000), Home Depot Inc. ($150,000), Reynolds American Inc. ($150,000) and Germany’s Deutsche Telekom ($130,150) were also among its top 20 donors.

Similar figures for RAGA showed Altria ($440,000) and Anthem ($285,000) covering their bets. The largest RAGA contributors included the Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative judicial think tank ($1.59 million); Citizens for a Working America Inc. ($930,000); and the National Rifle Association ($835,000).

Among companies, the largest RAGA contributors were Noble Energy Inc. ($520,000); Koch Industries ($515,000); and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. ($500,000).

Bruce Freed, president and co-founder of the Center for Political Accountability, told Corporate Counsel that companies need to be careful making political donations “in this hyper-polarized environment. It’s like nitroglycerin, when you shake the bottle you never know when it might explode.”

Freed referred to his group’s report released earlier this year, “Collision Course: The Risks Companies Face When Their Political Spending and Core Values Conflict and How to Address Them.

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