NATIONAL LEGAL AND POLICY CENTER 1309 Vicent Place, Suite 1000 McLean, Virginia 22101 703-847-3088, Fax 703-847-6969 www.nlpc.org, nlpc@nlpc.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 14, 1998
CONTACT: Dan Rene, 703-847-3088 or drene@nlpc.org

Who’s Got the Most Money From Top Union PACs? Extensive Study Reveals the Top 20 Federal Recipients ofCampaign Contributions from the Top 20 Union PACs
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today the National Legal and Policy Center issued “The Top 20 from the Top 20: 1998 Study of the Top 20 Federal Recipients of Campaign Contributions from the Top 20 Union PACs.” Here’s the lists:

U.S. House:
1. Lois Capps (CA-22) $222,900
2. Ciro Rodriguez (TX-28) $186,000
3. Loretta Sanchez (CA-46) $185,000
3. Richard Gephardt (MO-3) $185,000
5. Neil Abercrombie (HI-1) $182,500
6. Lane Evans (IL-17) $176,000
7. Ted Strickland (OH-6) $164,500
8. David Bonior (MI-10) $164,118
9. Jay Johnson (WI-8) $158,250
10. Martin Frost (TX-24) $157,000
11. Baron Hill (IN-9) $148,000
12. James McGovern (MA-3) $143,000
13. Dan Williams (ID-1) $142,000
14. Julia Carson (IN-10) $138,000
14. Max Sandlin (TX-1) $138,000
16. Richard Stallings (ID-2) $136,500
17. Jan Schakowsky (IL-9) $133,363
18. Brian Baird (WA-3) $131,000
19. Christine Kehoe (CA-49) $128,500
20. John Tierney (MA-6) $127,500

U.S. Senate:
1. Harry Reid (Nev.) $165,500
2. Carol Moseley-Braun (Ill.) $157,100
3. Tom Daschle (S.D.) $149,950
4. Barbara Boxer (Cal.) $149,100
5. Byron Dorgan (N.D.) $145,500
6. Jay Nixon (Mo.) $142,500
7. Patty Murray (Wash.) $141,950
8. Mary Boyle (Ohio) $138,500
9. Scotty Baesler (Ky.) $137,000
10. Ron Wyden (Ore.) $127,500
11. Michael Coles (Ga.) $117,000
12. Christopher Dodd (Conn.) $110,800
13. Barbara Mikulski (Md.) $107,350
14. Edward Kennedy (Mass.) $104,000
15. Bob Graham (Fla.) $96,500
16. Evan Bayh (Ind.) $94,500
17. Ernest Hollings (S.C.) $83,750
18. Russ Feingold (Wis.) $81,000
19. Arlen Specter (Pa.) $76,750
20. Blanche Lambert Lincoln (Ark.) $64,500

Source FEC; Contributions from Jan. 1, 1997 to Aug. 31, 1998; Italic=Challenger.

In addition to these two Top 20 lists, the study also lists the Top 20 House Incumbent Recipients, Top 20 House Challenger Recipients and Top 20 Republicans Recipients. The study, including all five lists, a list of the Top 20 Union PACs, the methodology and an analysis of the findings, is available by request or at www.nlpc.org.

The study had in four key findings:

Power Begets Power. Top Democratic party leaders, such as Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (SD) and House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (MO-3), made their respective Top 20 lists with ease.

Special Election Candidates Double Their Pleasure. Candidates who are on this November’s ballot and won special elections during this cycle topped the House list. Rep. Lois Capps (CA-22) led all recipients with $222,900 from the Top 20 Union PACs.

Vulnerable Incumbents Mostly Freshmen. Most of the vulnerable incumbents that the union PACs are trying to protect are first-term members of both houses. Notable exceptions are Sen. Harry Reid (NV), Rep. Neil Abercrombie (HI-1) and Rep. Lane Evans (IL-17) which leads to the conclusion that these three long-time incumbents are in serious trouble.

Unions Favor Democrats. No surprise here. Not one Republican made it on to any of the Top 20 lists for the House. Only Sen. Arlen Specter (PA) was able to eke out a 19th place finish on the Top 20 Senate list. Thus the inclusion of a separate Top 20 Republican list.

“With the heavy involvement of unions and labor organizations in the 1996 election, this study seeks to answer a basic question: Which candidates are top union PACs investing in this election?” said NLPC Chairman Ken Boehm.

Boehm added, “This study is a good indicator of who the largest union PACs believe are the most powerful, the most vulnerable and the most likely to upset an incumbent this election day.”

Again, to obtain a copy of the study, contact NLPC’s Dan Rene at 703-847-3088 or drene@nlpc.org. Or, visit NLPC’s website: www.nlpc.org and look under “What’s New.”

This study is part of NLPC’s Organized Labor Accountability Project which is investigating and exposing corruption and abuses in the Teamsters, LIUNA, AFL-CIO and other labor organizations. NLPC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit foundation promoting ethics and accountability in government through research, education and legal action. NLPC was a plaintiff in the lawsuit which succeeded in opening the records of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Health Care Task Force. Please visit www.nlpc.org.

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