In its annual report Roche notes the following:
Political contributions | US federal law prohibits us from making political contributions to federal candidates, although employees may make personal contributions to the Hoffmann-La Roche Good Government Committee (GGC), a voluntary political action committee, or participate in the Roche Action Programme. Employees contributed 416,680 US dollars through these mechanisms in 2008.
Lest you think that Roche doesn’t try to influence the political process consider their expenses for lobbying.
Total Lobbying Expenditures: $7,969,516
Subtotal for Subsidiary Hoffmann-La Roche: $5,037,516
Subtotal for Subsidiary Genentech Inc: $2,710,000
Subtotal for Subsidiary Roche Diagnostics: $222,000
And their yearly expenditures for lobbying the past few years, during our “recession/depression.”
Medicynical Note: Millions more are available from other companies. You can bet with the recent supreme court ruling they will be contributing to candidates–even though they are at heart a “Swiss pharmaceutical giant.”
Medicynic 