WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Chamber of Commerce affiliate has contributed $500,000 to a political group associated with Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum.
The group, Florida First Initiative, has been running ads against McCollum's GOP primary opponent, Rick Scott.
Disclosure documents posted by Florida First show the chamber's Institute for Legal Reform made the contribution this week. It is among the largest contributions received by the group.
The money comes as McCollum's campaign has been scrambling to keep up with the pace of Scott's spending. Scott, a millionaire former health care executive, has been financing his own campaign.
The chamber has not endorsed a candidate in the Florida governor's race. But the chamber's legal reform institute has been a supporter of McCollum's efforts to rein in lawsuits in the state. A spokesman for the chamber institute would not comment on the contribution.
McCollum has received help from several political groups, many of them called 527 organizations after the tax code provision that gives them tax-exempt status.
Unlike candidates, the groups can raise unlimited amounts of money from individuals or corporations, using the money to air ads or conduct other political activity.
The Florida first Initiative has run a tough ad against Scott, attacking his leadership as CEO of the hospital chain Columbia/HCA. Scott was forced out by his board amid a Medicaid/Medicare fraud investigation. Scott, who was not charged, has said he didn't know about any wrongdoing. The firm paid $1.7 billion in fines and settlements.
Florida First has received money from other corporate interests, including $350,000 from Florida-based U.S. Sugar, the nation's largest producer of cane sugar, according to documents filed with the Internal Revenue Service. It also has received more than $1 million from groups affiliated with state Republican office holders such as incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon and Senate President Mike Haridopolos.
