Mary Landrieu and the Health Care and Insurance Industries

Sen. Landrieu has depended on the insurance and health care industries to fund her campaigns for public office1

  • According to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, Sen. Landrieu has raised $1,668,693 from health care and insurance interests throughout her federal political career.

  • Of the $1,668,693 in health care and insurance money Sen. Landrieu has raised, just 36% came from in state donors, with 64% coming from out of state interests.

  • Sen. Landrieu has received substantial contributions throught her career from leading health care industries, including HMOs and pharmaceutical companies:
Health Professionals $600,366
Insurance $376,731
Hospitals/Nursing Homes $266,645
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $228,446
Health Services/HMOs $160,005
  • Sen. Landrieu has also received $677,014 from registered lobbyists and their political action committees throughout her career.

  • Sen. Landrieu has received large contributions from some of the largest companies and groups in the health care and insurance industries.
Tenet Healthcare $26,000
American Optometric Association $25,500
GlaxoSmithKline $25,000
American Hospital Association $23,000
Amgen $21,000
Blue Cross Blue Shield $20,479
  • Sen. Landrieu’s leadership political action committee, Jazz PAC, has received significant contributions from the health care industry throughout her career.
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $13,000
Health Professionals $10,500
Hospitals/Nursing Homes $6,000
  • Jazz PAC has also received $29,000 from registered lobbyists and their political action committees
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  • According to the Sunlight Foundation’s Political Party Time website, a number of health care lobbyists hosted a $2000/$1000 fundraising reception for Sen. Landrieu on July 28, 2008. The lobbyist hosts (and clients) included: Nicole Venable of McAllister & Quinn (Novartis, SERMO), and numerous lobbyists from the Chamber of Commerce.

Former staffers for Sen. Landrieu have made lucrative careers as lobbyists for the health care industry and other major business interests

  • Donna Denison, a former staffer for Sen. Landrieu, is vice president with lobbying firm Cassidy & Associates. The firm’s first quarter 2009 clients (and fees) include: BJC Healthcare ($60,000), Fairview Hospital and Healthcare Services ($80,000), and Memorial Healthcare System ($70,000).

  • Jeffrey Wiener, a former legislative assistant for Sen. Landrieu, is a lobbyist with Fabiani & Company. The firm’s first quarter 2009 clients (and fees) include: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals ($50,000), Lundbeck Research ($100,000), and Trius Therapeutics ($60,000).

  • Jason Mathews, Sen. Landrieu’s former chief of staff, is director of congressional affairs with the Chamber of Commerce.

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1. All campaign finance and lobbying figures come from the Center for Responsive Politics website, http://www.opensecrets.org, accessed May 5, 2009.