BIG TOBACCO ACCUSED OF LINKING GOP SENATORS' VOTES, TV ADS

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Justice Department is reviewing whether tobacco
companies promised some Senate Republicans that they would pay for
television advertisements if the senators voted to defeat the tobacco bill.

The advertisements were not to have been direct endorsements of the
senators but were meant to explain the tobacco issue in a way that might
provide the senators with "political cover" for their vote, said a
complaint filed by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, an advocacy group.

Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), the minority leader, received a letter dated
Aug. 17 from the Justice Department confirming that it was reviewing
charges that several companies violated federal election law, his
spokeswoman, Ranit Schmelzer, said Sunday.

Justice Department spokesman Michael Gordon acknowledged that the
department was looking into the matter, but added, "I wouldn't call it an
investigation yet."

Scott Williams, a spokesman for the tobacco industry, said Sunday that the
accusations were "without merit" and that the tobacco companies had run
only "substantive" advertisements. No money has been spent on
advertisements for candidates, Williams said.

In its complaint, filed with the Federal Election Commission in June, the
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids accused the tobacco industry of violating
federal campaign law that bars corporations from making direct
contributions to a candidate's campaign.

The complaint said that on June 17, hours before the Senate took a critical
vote on the tobacco bill, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told other
Republican senators in a private meeting that the industry was promising to
run advertisements to give "political cover" to senators who voted to kill
the legislation. The bill was defeated.

Robert Steurer, McConnell's press secretary, said Sunday, "What Senator
McConnell said was a statement of the obvious: that the companies would
continue to fight for their interests, and they have."

Checked-by: Joel W. Johnson