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. Andrew Whist, a Philip Morris senior vice president, runs all three organizations, with the assistance of other Philip Morris employees. Philip Morris had registered lobbyists in Wisconsin at the time of the trips. State law bars officials from taking anything of value from lobbyists or firms that employ them. It is also illegal for lobbyists or their firms to provide anything of value to officials.