Sugar Daddie$

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Sugar Daddie$

by Gregory Boller

Last October, when the Clinton campaign faced criticism from the GOP over contributions from the Indonesian Riady family, it tried to turn the tables by pointing to the vice chairman of Dole’s campaign finance committee: Cuban-born sugar magnate José Fanjul of Palm Beach, Fla. Fanjul recently applied for U.S. citizenship, but his status as a legal resident makes him ineligible to vote. He and his family compensate with staggering contributions to Republicans — and Democrats. Brother Alfonso even earned an invitation to a Clinton kaffeeklatsche attended by fundraiser Terry McAuliffe, among others.

The Fanjuls’ total giving has been consistently underreported because they give through an array of family members, companies, executives, and PACs. During the 1995-96 election cycle, members of the Fanjul family contributed $774,500 to federal campaigns. This total includes $135,500 in PAC money, $141,000 to candidates, and $498,000 in soft money from companies owned or controlled by the Fanjuls (see below). Add in $128,080 from the Fanjuls’ closest advisers and senior executives and the Fanjuls’ generosity totals $902,580.

It’s an excellent investment. In return, a grateful Congress maintains a sugar price support program worth approximately $65 million annually to the Fanjuls.

Hard Money From Fanjul Family and Executives
(1995-96 Election Cycle)


 
Individual Flo-Sun
PAC
Fla. Sugar Cane
League PAC
Adam Smith
PAC
Monday Morning
PAC
Alexander Fanjul 13,500 10,000 10,000 1,000 0
Alfonso Fanjul Jr. 23,000 5,500 5,500 0 0
Andres Fanjul 14,500 10,000 5,500 1,000 0
Cathie Fanjul 8,000 12,000 5,000 1,000 0
Emilia Fanjul 16,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 4,000
Emilia H. Fanjul 3,000 0 1,000 0 0
José Fanjul 25,500 5,500 5,000 5,000 0
José Fanjul Jr. 11,500 0 2,500 0 0
Nicole Fanjul 13,000 10,000 10,000 1,000 0
Luis Fernandez 13,000 5,000 5,000 0 0
Family Totals $141,000 $63,000 $54,500 $14,000 $4,000
Erik Blomquist 7,500 8,000 0 0 0
Van Boyette 6,930 8,150 0 0 0
Donald Carson 4,500 5,000 5,000 0 0
Jorge Dominicis 9,000 9,000 7,000 0 0
Oscar Hernandez 7,000 10,000 10,000 0 0
Alberto Recio 3,500 5,000 4,000 0 1,000
José Valdivia 7,500 5,000 5,000 0 0
Executive Totals $45,930 $50,150 $31,000 $0 $1,000
Totals $186,930 $113,150 $85,500 $14,000 $5,000
 

Soft Money From Fanjul Private Corporations
(1995-96 Election Cycle)



Democrats Republicans Total
Flo-Sun Land Corp. 50,000 45,000 95,000
Flo-Sun Sugar 49,500 40,000 89,500
Okeelanta Corp. 10,000 63,500 73,500
Osceola Farms 30,000 30,000 60,000
Flo-Sun Inc. 30,000 20,000 50,000
New Farm Inc. 10,000 20,000 30,000
New Hope Sugar 5,000 20,000 25,000
South Florida Industries 5,000 20,000 25,000
Florida Crystals Refinery 15,000 0 15,000
Florida Atlantic Land Corp. 0 10,000 10,000
New Hope South 10,000 0 10,000
Sem-Chi Products 0 10,000 10,000
Kendall Sugar Cane 5,000 0 5,000
Totals $219,500 $278,500 $498,000

Gregory Boller is an associate professor of marketing at the University of Memphis.

Source: Federal Election Commission

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