Frank Pallone
A New Jersey Congress had his hand out to special interests while writing the House care reform bill. My colleague Raju Chebium in Washington reports Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. received $321,000 in campaign contributions over the past year from the same industry the legislation he was writing was supposed to overhaul. The Center for Response Politics says Pallone is top House recipient of donations from the health care industry in the 2010 election cycle as of Sept. 30. He didn't violate any law or ethics guidelines. Dave Levinthal of the Center said, "What this shows is (Pallone of Long Branch) has an intimately close financial relationship with the very folks who care the most about how this legislation plays out."Over this 20-year House career, the Center reports that Pallone has received more than $2.5 million from the health care industry. His district, parts of Monmouth and Middlesex counties, is home to Johnson&Johnson, Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Pallone has more campaign cash than any other member of the New Jersey congressional delegation -- $4 million as of Sept. 30. Here's a list of how much each member of the delegation has:
House
Rep. Robert Andrews, D-Haddon Heights: $214,000
Rep. John Adler, D-Cherry Hill: $1.2 million
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-Harding: $497,000
Rep. Scott Garrett, R-Wantage: $268,000
Rep. Rush Holt, D-Hopewell Township: $591,000
Rep. Leonard Lance, R-Clinton Township: $314,000
Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-Ventnor: $1.2 million
Rep. Frank Pallone, D-Long Branch: $4 million
Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-Paterson: $1.4 million
Rep. Donald Payne, D-Newark: $1.1 million
Rep. Steve Rothman, D-Fair Lawn: $1.8 million
Rep. Albio Sires, D-West New York: $234,000
Rep. Chris Smith, R-Hamilton: $120,000
Senate
Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.: $272,000
Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.: $1.2 million.
