FEC filing: Roy Blunt leadership PAC accepts $112,000 from health care/pharmaceutical special interests

Political action committees (PACs) representing pharmaceutical, insurance, and health related special interests contributed at least $112,500 to Sen. Roy Blunt's Rely On Your Beliefs Leadership PAC.

Leadership PACS are used by senators and representatives who are shooting for leadership positions or who want to hold on to those positions. They do so by contributing money to fellow legislators' campaigns and by showing their fundraising ability.

Blunt received $331,765.75 in contributions during the past six months, according to his July financial disclosure form filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).  He spent $256,807.92, leaving him with $231,067.95.

Blunt entertained potential donors lavishly, according to the report, spending $15,000 for catering and facility fees for a PAC event at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island, a luxury resort near Charleston, South Carolina, and $16,372.39 and $14,446.44 for PAC events at Disney Destinations at the Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida, as well as several meals costing thousands of dollars and two events at the Stonewall Golf Club in Gainsville, Virginia.

Among the PACs giving the maximum $5,000 contributions to the leadership PAC were the following:

Boehringer Ingelheim USA
Eli Lilly
Pfizer
Abbott Laboratories
American Hospital Association
Cerner
United Health Corp
Mallinkrodt
Amgen
American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Other PACS contributing at least $2,000 include the following:

Abbvie Pharmaceutical Research and Development
Federation of American Hospitals
Johnson & Johnson
Novartis
Health South Corp
Merck
Anthem
Emergency Biosolutions
Blue Cross Blue Shield