Governors from those states accompanied Thompson on his recent overseas trips. Thompson's '95-'96 travel tab had heavier corporate sponsorship than his earlier treks. Most have had regulatory or legislative interests in state government. For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield had concerns about a health insurance reform proposal, Kohler wanted state permits to develop a golf resort and GTE was interested in a major telecommunications deregulation plan. Thompson rejected any suggestion that corporate interests could get their foot in the door of his office by paying for his travel.
Nobody gets special access.
Take a look at Philip Morris. . . . If they're doing things to have influence with me, they've done a lousy job. Trips and other types of corporate largess given to public officials have become more creative as campaign costs have risen and officeholders and their benefactors look for ways to trump donation limits, said Gail Shea, executive director of the non-partisan Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which advocates for campaign finance reform. Soft money refers to largely unregulated donations to candidates. Officeholders should ask lots of questions about sources of trips and gifts to ensure there isn't even an appearance of undue influence, she said.