Foulkes Accepts Campaign Donation From Controversial Former Tobacco CEO

Foulkes Accepts Campaign Donation From Controversial Former Tobacco CEO

Democratic candidate for Rhode Island Governor Helena Foulkes has raised more than $130,000 from New York City and one of the big donors is Andrew Tisch, the former CEO of Lorillard Tobacco Company.

Tisch may be best known for his dramatic testimony before Congress when he was the CEO of Lorillard Tobacco Company and other leading tobacco execs shocked members of Congress and the American public by claiming that there was no link between tobacco and cancer and that nicotine was not addictive. He gave Foulkes $1,000 in March.

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Foulkes has repeatedly bought her and her late mother’s battles with cancer into the campaign and featured them in her political commercials.

And, she trumpets how she removed tobacco products from CVS stores.

"I like doing big things that matter for people -- I'm particularly proud of the tobacco decision that I led to get rid of tobacco in all our stores...so I'm not afraid of taking on hard things," said Foulkes on GoLocal LIVE.

 

Tisch Testified Before Congress That He Did "Not Believe" There Was Link Between Tobacco and Cancer 

Tisch may be best known for his dramatic testimony before Congress when he was the CEO of Lorillard Tobacco Company, when he and other leading tobacco execs shocked members of Congress and the American public by claiming that there was no link between tobacco and cancer and that nicotine was not addictive.

The hearings were in 1994. 

According to the New York Times, the Tisch and Congressional showdown played out as follows:

Democratic Congressmen on the panel, inspired by recent news reports, pressed the executives on whether their companies manipulated the content of nicotine to keep smokers addicted to cigarettes. The executives acknowledged that nicotine levels could be and were controlled by altering the blends of tobacco, but they said this was done to enhance flavor, not to insure addiction.

Mr. [Henry] Waxman asked Andrew H. Tisch, the chairman and chief executive of the Lorillard Tobacco Company whether he knew that cigarettes caused cancer. “I do not believe that,” Mr. Tisch answered.

“Do you understand how isolated you are from the scientific community in your belief?” Mr. Waxman asked.

“I do, sir," Mr. Tisch said.

Tisch also claimed in answering questions from then-Congressman and now-United States Senator Ron Wyden that he did not believe that nicotine was addictive. 

After the hearing, a perjury investigation was initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Ultimately, the DOJ found it did not have enough evidence to prosecute for perjury because the CEOs testified under oath that they believed nicotine did not addict to people. Because they had used the word "believe," they could not be prosecuted for perjury.

See the Video of Tisch and other Tobacco CEO's Testimony Below

 

Big Donor - Party Does Not Matter

Over the past three decades, Tisch has funneled hundreds of thousands of political donations to both parties and candidates from Hillary Clinton to George W. Bush. Tisch, like Foulkes, has given to the widest range of politicians.

Foulkes has given to GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and former President Barack Obama.

He has also made massive donations to state and federal political committees, including $150,000.00 to the Americans for Responsible Solutions, $33,400.00 to the DNC Services Corp, $25,000.00 to the Democratic linked PowerPAC Plus, $50,000 to The Mobilization Project tied to Corey Booker’s campaign, and $5,000.00 to the New York Republican Federal Campaign Committee. Former Governor Gina Raimondo accepted $8,000 from Tisch

His wife Ann Tisch has donated hundreds of thousands and combined the couple exceeds more than a million in political donations. The Tischs were scheduled to host a fundraiser in New York City for Governor Gina Raimondo's reelection in 2018, but after GoLocal raised questions about Tisch's history, the event was canceled.

The Foulkes' campaign sent the following statement.

"Thank you very much for bringing this to our attention. The campaign was unaware of the Tisch’s Family previous involvement in the tobacco industry. Leading CVS’s decision to stop selling cigarettes was one of the proudest moments of Helena’s career and an especially personal one given that she lost her mother to lung cancer. The campaign will donate contributions from the Tisch family to the American Lung Association immediately."

The campaign refused to respond to why the money wasn't being returned, and instead given to a nonprofit for the benefit of the campaign. 

 

Story last updated: Wednesday, July 6 8:25 AM