http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A3050-2003Jul16¬Found=trueGOP Attorneys General Asked For Corporate Contributions
_____Correction_____
A July 17 article overstated the number of Republican attorneys general shown in fundraising documents as having solicited campaign donations from corporations or trade groups with business in their states. Spokesmen for former Texas attorney general and current Sen. John Cornyn and former Ohio attorney general Betty Montgomery, both of whom were listed in the documents as having been assigned to make such calls, said neither Cornyn nor Montgomery recall making any. Alabama Attorney General William Pryor has said he made solicitations to companies by phone and in person, and the other three attorneys general named in the article said in interviews that they had made such calls.
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By R. Jeffrey Smith and Tania Branigan
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, July 17, 2003; Page A01
Republican state attorneys general in at least six states telephoned corporations or trade groups subject to lawsuits or regulations by their state governments to solicit hundreds of thousands of dollars in political contributions, according to internal fundraising documents obtained by The Washington Post.
One of the documents mentions potential state actions against health maintenance organizations and suggests the attorneys general should "start targeting the HMO's" for fundraising. It also cites a news article about consolidation and regulation of insurance firms and states that "this would be a natural area for us to focus on raising money."
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Other attorneys general mentioned in the documents include then-Virginia Attorney General Mark L. Earley; Delaware Attorney General Jane Brady; then-South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon; then-Texas Attorney General John Cornyn, now in the Senate, and then-Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery
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There is a correction with the article where Cornyn, Pryor and Montgomery claim they were not a part of this. However if you read the article, much of their solicitation was to help send money to a generic group like RAGA or RNC instead of directly to their campaign chests. They do a good job hiding the paper trail.