Florida Consumer Action Network Foundation's
Florida
Clean Elections Project
Post
Office Box 301 Tallahassee, Florida 32301 (850) 385-6160
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Stephen
Thomas
(850) 385-6160
What Will This Weeks Reports Show?
Tallahassee, FL October 11, 2001
Through the second quarter of 2001, the Republican Party of Florida has received over ten times more in soft money contributions from the insurance and HMO companies than the Florida Democratic Party.
According to the Florida Clean Elections Program, Florida Division of Elections data shows the Republican Party of Florida raised $366,810 from insurance and HMO companies through the second quarter, while Florida Democrats only raised $36,123.
Dan Hendrickson, President of the Florida Consumer Action Network Foundation, believes there is a clear link between industry money and Republican legislation. “With the recent tort reform measures, failure to pass a meaningful Patients’ Bill of Rights, and failure to protect Florida’s seniors living in nursing homes, Republican legislators have been relieving the HMO and insurance industries of millions of dollars in potential claims. It’s no wonder that these companies are paying the Republican Party back for the favor,” Hendrickson stated.
Florida Combined Insurance Agency, the leading insurance industry contributor to the Republicans, contributed $57,500 since the last election cycle, $10,000 more than the Democrats received from the entire industry. The Democrats have received $10,000 from their biggest insurance contributor, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, since the beginning of the 2002 General Election Cycle.
Other big Republican contributors include Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, which contributed over $51,000; Humana, which contributed $21,000; Florida Select Insurance Agency, which contributed $17,500; FCCI Mutual Insurance Company, which contributed $15,000; and National Trust Insurance Company, which contributed $10,000. The second largest Democratic contributor from the insurance and HMO industries was FCCI Mutual Insurance Company, which contributed $7,500.
HMO and insurance soft money contributions will undoubtedly soar in the coming months. The next campaign finance reporting period ends September 30, reports were due to the Division of Elections on October 10, 2001, but have not yet been posted to the web site.
The Florida Clean Elections Program is a project of the Florida Consumer Action Network Foundation (FCAN Foundation) that is working to educate voters about campaign finance abuses.