Rx industry and campaign finance reform

Executive Summary

The pharmaceutical industry-funded Citizens for Better Medicare advocacy group is cited as an example of disguised electioneering during Sept. 8 oral arguments before the Supreme Court over the McCain/Feingold campaign finance reform law. Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering Partner Seth Waxman, representing Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in supporting the law, noted that CBM described itself as "a group of concerned seniors and companies and associations concerned about Medicare." It was "in fact funded almost exclusively by PhRMA and the companies that make up PhRMA," he continued. The association ran 23,867 "issue ads" about Medicare from Jan. 1 until Sept. 4 "and not a single one mentioned a candidate." In the last 60 days before the elections, "they ran 10,876 ads, all mentioning candidates." Then, "on election day, they stopped cold"...