A $5 Million Donation From Big Tobacco Preceded F.D.A. Vape Decision

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: New York Times

A $5 Million Donation From Big Tobacco Preceded F.D.A. Vape Decision

Reynolds American's contribution to MAGA Inc. came about one week before the Trump administration announced a new policy on e-cigarettes the company had sought.


The F.D.A. has issued new guidance that could pave the way for major tobacco companies including Reynolds American to begin selling flavored vapes. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

By Kenneth P. Vogel and Christina Jewett
Kenneth P. Vogel and Christina Jewett have covered special interest lobbying to shape government policies related to health care and public safety.
May 20, 2026

The tobacco company Reynolds American donated $5 million to a super PAC backed by President Trump last month, about one week before his administration rolled out a new policy that could prove lucrative to the tobacco industry. ... The donation, which came through a Reynolds subsidiary and brings to $8 million the total donated by the subsidiary to MAGA Inc., the Trump-backed super PAC, was revealed in a campaign finance report filed Wednesday night.

The donation came on April 30. ... Two days later, a top executive at Reynolds and two lobbyists who represent the company had lunch with Mr. Trump at his golf club in Jupiter, Fla. Also attending were two executives from Altria, another tobacco company. ... At the lunch, the tobacco industry representatives expressed dissatisfaction with the way the Food and Drug Administration was regulating the industry, as The New York Times reported last week.

Mr. Trump interrupted the conversation to call Dr. Marty Makary, the F.D.A. commissioner. ... When Mr. Makary did not answer, the president dialed Dr. Makary's boss, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and another top health official, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. ... The president complained to the men about the F.D.A.'s regulation of e-cigarettes, according to three people briefed on the meeting who were not authorized to discuss it.

Less than one week later, the F.D.A. issued new guidance that could pave the way for major tobacco companies to begin selling flavored vapes and to snare a chunk of the $6 billion e-cigarette market away from illegal Chinese competitors.

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Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/us/politics/donation-big-tobacco-vaping.html

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https://www.nytimes.com/by/kenneth-p-vogel
https://www.nytimes.com/by/christina-jewett

******
Ron Filipkowski
‪@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social‬

MAHA was just another con. The corruption of the Trump admin is absolutely staggering.


5:33 AM · May 21, 2026
******

MAHA was just another con. The corruption of the Trump admin is absolutely staggering.

— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) 2026-05-21T09:33:45.312Z

[UpInArms]

1. The corruption is so obvious

Since there is no fear of laws applying to them …

They just do their criming right out in the open.

I could kill your democracy in broad daylight on 5th avenue and not lose a single vote

[nwduke]

2. We want to b hi,d a data process enter in Yellowstone Park

Are you kidding, forget it, oh wait the company made a $5 million dollar donation to trumps MAGA Inc.! Okie-dokie, have at it.

[republianmushroom]

3. The bestest and finest people money can buy ?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. Maddowblog-Trump's FDA delivers for tobacco industry following $5 million super PAC donation

Given the recent pattern, it’s tough to ignore the pay-to-play appearances in an administration for which corruption allegations have become the norm.

The story about Big Tobacco getting what it wants from the FDA after donating million to Trump’s super PAC is important.

But so is the intensifying pay-to-play pattern, showing just how frequently this same thing happens.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-05-21T14:03:01.137Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-fda-flavored-vapes-super-pac-reynolds-american

What we didn’t know about the developments, however, was the possible role of a political contribution. The New York Times reported:

The tobacco company Reynolds American donated $5 million to a super PAC backed by President Trump last month, about one week before his administration rolled out a new policy that could prove lucrative to the tobacco industry.

The donation, which came through a Reynolds subsidiary and brings to $8 million the total donated by the subsidiary to MAGA Inc., the Trump-backed super PAC, was revealed in a campaign finance report filed Wednesday night.

A White House spokesperson told the Times that the donation was unrelated to the administration’s policy, and the “only guiding factor” was “gold standard science.”

Perhaps. But the timeline is striking:

April 30: Tobacco giant donates $5 million to Trump-aligned super PAC

May 1: Tobacco giant’s executive and lobbyists get an in-person lunch with Trump

May 1: Trump interrupts lunch to call the FDA commissioner and other leading officials at the Department of Health and Human Services, echoing the industry’s line

May 8: The FDA bypasses its regular rulemaking process and delivers the policy the tobacco giant wanted

Maybe the $5 million contribution was entirely irrelevant, but if so, that’s quite a coincidence.....

With a pattern like this, it’s tough to ignore the pay-to-play appearances in an administration for which corruption allegations have become the norm.