Ed Silverman reports for Stat News on pharmaceutical companies’ support for Republican candidates who falsely deny the legitimacy of Biden’s election in 2020. In 2022, Pharma, the trade association representing the drug companies, donated more than $1 million to Republicans running for state offices. These campaign contributions buy Pharma political power.
Elected officials help ensure that Pharma can continue to charge exorbitant prices for prescription drugs. So, one would expect these large campaign contributions. They’re a drop in the bucket relative to the profits pharmaceutical companies generate from having virtually free reign to set prices.
Pfizer appears to have led the way with its campaign contributions to Republicans, donating $600,000. GSK, Eli Lilly and Novartis contributed $235,000 or more each. Astellas Pharma, Johnson and Johnson and Merck each donated $125,000 or more.
The pharmaceutical companies donated directly to either the Republican State Leadership Committee, the Republican Attorneys General Association, and the Republican Governors Association.
Money from these Republican groups was directed to some individual campaigns, such as Ashley Moody’s re-election campaign for Florida attorney general. Moody had urged the Supreme Court in 2020 to rule on a lawsuit designed to invalidate Presidential election results in four states.
The Republican Governors Association invested more than $5 million in an ad campaign in Arizona opposing Katie Hobbs, the Democrat running for governor against Kari Lake. Lake claims the 2020 election was stolen, notwithstanding the lack of evidence supporting her claim. The RGA also invested $15 million in Ron DeSantis, who supports Lake. (Notwithstanding these donations, Hobbs was just elected.)
The contributions by the pharmaceutical companies highlight their lack of concern for the integrity of our democracy and the democratic process. Perhaps their employees, along with Americans, will take note and stand together in support of Congressional action to end monopolistic drug pricing in the US and establish fair drug prices, on a par with what other wealthy countries pay.
To be fair, the pharmaceutical companies use their campaign contributions to befriend legislators in whatever party. So, it should come as no surprise that they donated to Democratic committees as well, although at somewhat lower levels than Republican committees.
Pharmaceutical companies claim that their donations are intended purely to support their particular policy goals related to prescription drugs and should not be seen as support for other issues.
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