Democrat in high-stakes race who says she’s ‘not beholden’ to corporate interests raked in lobbyist cash

The Democratic nominee for Maryland’s Senate race has repeatedly distanced herself from corporate interests, but a slew of corporate lobbyists have flooded her campaign with cash.

Democratic Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks on April 26 stated that she is “not beholden to large corporate interests like Big Oil, Big Pharma, or the Big Gun Lobby,” and has echoed similar sentiments in fundraising emails. Despite her posture, Alsobrooks’ campaign has raked in well over $100,000 from dozens of lobbyists, including those representing the pharmaceutical and fossil fuel industries, disclosures show.

In addition to rebuking corporate interests, Alsobrooks has also promised that once elected to the Senate, she will “stand up to deep-pocketed, powerful, special interests,” according to a December 2023 fundraising email. Some lobbyists working to represent these interests, however, have donated to her campaign.

Top-level lobbyists who donated thousands to Alsobrooks’ campaign have represented pharmaceutical giants, big tech firms, a major tobacco company, large defense contractors, fossil fuel interests, and other massive corporations.

Jeffrey Forbes, a founding partner at Forbes-Tate, donated $3,300 to Alsobrooks’ campaign while working for pharmaceutical companies. Forbes counted Novartis, a firm that makes COVID-19 vaccines as well as other drugs, and Alexion Pharmaceuticals among his clients at the time he donated to Alsobrooks, disclosures show.

Forbes has also represented Altria, a leading tobacco company at the time of his donation, and began lobbying for RTX, formerly Raytheon, months after his donation, according to disclosures. Mary Stanton, a principal at Invariant and another Alsobrooks donor, gave to the Democratic Senate hopeful while lobbying for Raytheon.

Mike McKay, the CEO and managing partner of the lobbying firm Empire Consulting Group, also made the maximum contribution to Alsobrooks’ campaign while representing pharmaceutical interests. McKay’s clients included Gilead Sciences, Amgen, and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the primary trade group for the American drug industry, according to disclosures.

Other large corporations McKay has lobbied for include Fox Corp., Coca-Cola, and Nike, disclosures show.

Larry Camm, a Johnson & Johnson lobbyist, donated $250 to Alsobrooks, records show. Sarah Venuto, a lobbyist for America’s Natural Gas Alliance, gave Alsobrooks $250 as well, according to disclosures.

“It’s hard to tell what career politicians like Angela Alsobrooks love more: bashing special interests or using their money to bankroll their campaigns,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Tate Mitchell told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “This type of hypocrisy is exactly why voters are fed up with politics as usual in Washington.”

Big tech lobbyists were fond of Alsobrooks as well.

Chris Randle and Brian Rice, both lobbyists for Meta, collectively donated about $7,000 to Alsobrooks, disclosures show. Adrian Boafo, a lobbyist working for Oracle, gave her $500.

Alsobrooks, despite her financial ties to corporate influence, accused “corporate special interests” of attempting to deliver Maryland to the Republicans in a February fundraising email.

Maryland is not usually in play for Republicans, as Democrats have historically won presidential and senatorial elections by double-digit margins. Republicans, however, nominated popular former Gov. Larry Hogan, a moderate who has gone to great lengths to distance himself from former President Donald Trump.

Multiple polls have shown Hogan leading his Democratic opponents in Maryland, making some Republicans confident that he could flip the state.

The Alsobrooks campaign did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

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