Chicago Trib: Drug companies fund group (USANext) battling AARP

[Robbien]

<snip>

Like hundreds of tax-exempt organizations on the political left and right that flourish in Washington, USA Next is not required to disclose its donors or contractors. And the money involved is sizable, $28 million in 2004, according to Jarvis' estimates. Records obtained by Public Citizen show that PhRMA, the trade association for major U.S. drug companies, has in past years been a large donor, along with drug giant Pfizer Inc.

USA Next's powerful connections, however, extend beyond contributors. In fiscal year 2003, other records show, USA Next mistakenly filed with the IRS a list of its top five contractors. The top contractor for that tax year, earning more than $1.3 million, was a firm whose founder is also a principal in another firm with strong ties to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas). And United Seniors has packed its board with prominent Republican consultants over the years. Board members include Jack Abramoff, a lobbyist under investigation by the Justice Department and Congress who also has links to DeLay.

. . .

Special interests can use groups like USA Next as proxies to wage public campaigns with which they would not want to be directly associated. USA Next also has launched issue campaigns in congressional races across the country, stopping short of literally backing a candidate but leaving no doubt about which candidate it supports. In IRS filings, United Seniors says its mission is "public awareness" and "public advocacy" and that it distributes "millions of copies of newsletters to senior citizens that will directly affect their lives." It is clear that the group is doing much more, though there is almost never a straight line between a donation by an interested party to a lobbyist or group and a specific legislative act.

. . .

Jarvis changed the business model, relying almost exclusively on deep-pocketed donors with big stakes in legislation. From a financial perspective, the result was outstanding. In fiscal year 2003, the group raised more than $25 million and spent only $770,000 on fundraising. In fiscal year 2001, records show, PhRMA gave United Seniors $1.5 million, 100 times the amount it had given the previous year. Pfizer gave $25,000 in each of those two years. PhRMA does not dispute the accuracy of the records.

In the next two years, just as Congress and the White House worked out details for a prescription drug benefit for Medicare, United Seniors received $24.8 million from a single source, records show. A redacted copy of the tax filing obscures the name of the donor, other than the first letter, "P," in 2003. A $20.1 million donation was reported in 2002 from a single source, but that donor's name is completely blacked out.

much more
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0504100388apr10,1,4083875.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed&ctrack=2&cset=true

[DeaconBlues]

1. I bet the people who run AARP are thinking twice now about their support

for Bush's medicare plan.

[AlCzervik]

2. That is big news and kudos to public citizen for getting that info

[DulceDecorum]

3. Those 501(c)(3) tax-exempt REPUBLICAN cash-cows

are going to be the death of us.

THIS is how the vast rightwing conspiracy leachs money from the government
and then turns the money
and the government
against the people who are funding it.

He who pays the piper is getting GOPeed upon.

[Inland]

4. The question "Who ARE these people?" is never answered.

It's not only that we don't have the names of the contributors--we know for sure that it is Wall Street firms and the usual Scaife type nutbags.

It's that nobody even remotely connected with this US NEXT has ever stood up once for seniors.

AARP has been out there digging for the interests of seniors, agree with them or not on specific issues. US NEXT appears out of nowhere, and suddenly they are the ones who know best? They are only interested in one issue, the one issue where somebody ELSE will make a ton of money, and suddenly they are the ones who care?

Let me know when USA Next gets involved in an issue that doesn't make someone a ton of bucks, like substandard retirement homes.

[Demeter]

5. The Drug Companies Are Foolish

Pfizer makes me laugh. They're the biggest employer in our town. They acquired a whole bunch of companies and their product lines, built a whole bunch of snazzy new buildings, and now they're laying off, forced to withdraw dangerous products, and looking like Reality is going to eat their lunch and supper. The last thing they need to do is impoverish and piss off their customers--US!

[Shallah Kali]

6. Dirty rotten scum! PhRMA is vile!

I don't like hating anyone but I really hate the drug companies. They have people between a rock and a hard place - pay an arm and a leg or die of disease. One of my relatives pays out $100 per month - with no help from his insurance - for his epilepsy medication. It should have gone to generic about 5 years ago but won't until 2008 because the company lobbied congress for an extension. My Gram was paying over $100 per month on a cholesterol medication her doctor badgered her into taking. Luckily she was able to go off it and control her cholesterol with oatmeal and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon a day.