Who's giving big money to Vice President Pence's leadership PAC? Lots of corporations

Show Caption Hide Caption Vice President Pence promotes tax reform in West Virginia In a campaign to rally support for President Donald Trumps tax reform law, Vice President Mike Pence hit the road promoting the legislation, delivering remarks on 'the positive impact of the policies on working Americans and businesses. (Jan.31)

WASHINGTON — Vice President Pence saw fundraising for his political action committee surge to more than $1.26 million during the second half of the year as corporate interests stepped up to help him protect GOP majorities in Congress.

Roughly 30% of the money that went to the Great America Committee since July 1 came from political action committees, including PACs tied to big drug makers, such as Novo Nordisk, Merck, Eli Lilly, Sunovion Pharmaceutical and Johnson and Johnson.

In his State of the Union address Tuesday, President Trump renewed his frequent attack on drug makers, saying reducing prescription drug prices would be "one of his greatest priorities" in the coming year.

Other corporate PACs supporting Pence include telecom giant AT&T and Nashville-based CoreCivic, which operates private prisons. The private-prison industry stands to make big gains with the Trump administration's stepped-up immigration enforcement.

In addition dozens of corporate executives also donated to the Pence political operation in the last six months of the year, including Charles Schwab, the San Francisco-based founder of the brokerage firm that bears his name, and four executives with tobacco giant, Altria, including its CEO Martin Barrington.

As a leadership PAC, donations to the Pence committee are capped at $5,000.

In all, the Pence leadership PAC has raised nearly $1.8 million since he launched it in last spring. First-term vice presidents don't typically run their own political operations, but Pence, a former Indiana governor and congressman, has maintained close ties to his own donor network and to his former colleagues on Capitol Hill.

Since July 1, Pence's committee has sent nearly $200,000 in donations to aid 34 Republican candidates, most of them seeking re-election in the House where the party fears a wave of Democratic voter enthusiasm could sweep Republicans out of the majority. Recipients included Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., who leads the conservative Freedom Caucus in the House.

Great America Committee also backed several GOP gubernatorial contenders, including Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who is seeking a third term.

Only one home state candidate received a donation from Pence's PAC: His brother, Greg, who is seeking Pence's old House seat.

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