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The Accounting Industry and Campaign Money
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the accounting industry gave more than $50
million dollars in federal campaign contributions during the 1990s, with 56
percent going to Republicans and 43 percent going to Democrats. So far in the
2002 election cycle, the industry has made $5,298,849 in contributions, with 72
percent going to Republicans and 28 percent to Democrats.
Below is a chart of accounting industry contribution trends from 1990 to today,
followed by a breakdown of industry campaign contributions to Congress during
the big three accounting battles of the decade, and the 2000 presidential
election.
[NOTE: All data is from OpenSecrets.org, the Web site of the Center for
Responsive Politics, a non-partisan, non-profit research group in Washington,
D.C. that tracks money in politics.]
1990-2002: FEDERAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION TRENDS
| Election Cycle |
Total Contributions |
Amt. to Democrats |
Amt. to Republicans |
% to Democrats |
% to Republicans |
|
| 1990 |
$3,098,764 |
$1,553,042 |
$1,544,722 |
50% |
50% |
| 1992 |
$6,338,182 |
$3,399,397 |
$2,920,446 |
54% |
46% |
| 1994 |
$6,922,476 |
$3,490,177 |
$3,411,399 |
50% |
49% |
| 1996 |
$11,169,445 |
$4,561,535 |
$6,570,390 |
41% |
59% |
| 1998 |
$9,341,295 |
$3,617,141 |
$5,672,081 |
39% |
61% |
| 2000 |
$14,705,429 |
$5,631,400 |
$8,961,847 |
38% |
61% |
| 2002 |
$5,298,849 |
$1,480,893 |
$3,794,473 |
28% |
72% |
| TOTAL |
$56,874,440 |
$23,733,585 |
$32,875,358 |
42% |
58% |
2001-2002: TOP CONTRIBUTORS
In the current election cycle, the accounting industry has contributed
$5,298,849, with the majority of donations coming from the Big Five accounting
firms and the industry trade association, the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants (AICPA). Here is a breakdown of their contributions.
| Rank |
Organization |
Amount |
% to Democrats |
% to Republicans |
|
| 1 |
Ernst & Young |
$869,487 |
32% |
68% |
| 2 |
Deloitte & Touche |
$750,734 |
25% |
75% |
| 3 |
KPMGLLP |
$709,329 |
19% |
81% |
| 4 |
PricewaterhouseCoopers |
$624,001 |
19% |
81% |
| 5 |
Andersen |
$591,789 |
30% |
70% |
| 6 |
AICPA |
$334,332 |
26% |
74% |
CONGRESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS
 1993-1994 Election Cycle: Contributions to Members of Congress
| House |
# Members |
Avg. Contribution |
Total Contributions |
|
| Democrats |
219 |
$8,215 |
$1,799,021 |
| Republicans |
165 |
$8,800 |
$1,452,042 |
| Independents |
1 |
$500 |
$500 |
| TOTAL |
385 |
$8,446 |
$3,251,563 |
[NOTE: The House of Representatives has 435 members]
Top Ten Recipients
Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) -- $84,324
W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (D-La.) -- $71,200
Jack M. Fields Jr. (R-Texas) -- $52,550
Dave McCurdy (D-Okla.) -- $50,900
Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) -- $42,800
Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) -- $41,346
Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) -- $38,793
E. Clay Shaw, Jr. (R-Fla.) -- $34,652
Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) -- $32,200
Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.) -- $28,250
| Senate |
# Members |
Avg. Contribution |
Total Contributions |
|
| Democrats |
44 |
$17,516 |
$770,686 |
| Republicans |
29 |
$16,904 |
$490,215 |
| Independents |
0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| TOTAL |
73 |
$17,273 |
$1,260,901 |
[NOTE: The Senate has 100 members]
Top Ten Recipients
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) -- $109,085
Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) -- $77,600
Jim Sasser (D-Tenn.) -- $64,650
Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) -- $62,100
Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J) -- $60,137
Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) -- $58,300
Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.) -- $53,350
Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) -- $43,630
Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) -- $41,527
Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.) -- $41,500
1995-1996 Election Cycle: Contributions to Members of Congress
| House |
# Members |
Avg. Contribution |
Total Contributions |
|
| Democrats |
168 |
$9,461 |
$1,589,484 |
| Republicans |
228 |
$10,735 |
$2,447,480 |
| Independents |
0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| TOTAL |
396 |
$10,194 |
$4,036,964 |
Top Ten Recipients
Martin Frost (D-Texas) -- $82,000
Dick Zimmer (R-N.J.) -- $72,389
Vic Fazio (D-Calif.) -- $69,900
Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.) -- $62,350
Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) -- $60,300
W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R-La.) -- $56,000
Peter Deutsch (D-Fla.) -- $54,500
Christopher Cox (R-Calif.) -- $49,650
Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) -- $47,030
Jack Reed (D-R.I.) -- $46,450
| Senate |
# Members |
Avg. Contribution |
Total Contributions |
|
| Democrats |
26 |
$31,127 |
$809,305 |
| Republicans |
45 |
$35,358 |
$1,591,096 |
| Independents |
0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| TOTAL |
71 |
$33,808 |
$2,400,401 |
Top Ten Recipients
Bob Dole (R-Kan.) -- $428,732
Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) -- $244,633
Phil Gramm (R-Texas) -- $190,750
Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.) -- $178,825
Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) -- $76,534
Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) -- $69,144
Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) -- $67,020
John Kerry (D-Mass.) -- $64,475
Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) -- $61,336
Max Baucus (D-Mont.) -- $61,000
1999-2000 Election Cycle: Contributions to Members of Congress
| House |
# Members |
Avg. Contribution |
Total Contributions |
|
| Democrats |
191 |
$9,679 |
$1,848,725 |
| Republicans |
217 |
$12,213 |
$2,650,117 |
| Independents |
1 |
$13,250 |
$13,250 |
| TOTAL |
409 |
$11,032 |
$4,512,092 |
Top Ten Recipients
Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) -- $64,750
E. Clay Shaw, Jr. (R-Fla.) -- $62,070
Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) -- $52,749
Martin Frost (D-Texas) -- $52,248
Thomas M. Davis, III (R-Va.) -- $51,861
Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) -- $50,521
Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) -- $47,200
Anne Northup (R-Ky.) -- $47,095
Donald L. Sherwood (R-Pa.) -- $46,036
Michael G. Oxley (R-Ohio) -- $42,000
| Senate |
# Members |
Avg. Contribution |
Total Contributions |
|
| Democrats |
36 |
$25,184 |
$906,636 |
| Republicans |
41 |
$23,357 |
$957,634 |
| Independents |
0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| TOTAL |
77 |
$24,211 |
$1,864,270 |
Top Ten Recipients
Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) -- $185,006
John McCain (R-Ariz.) -- $147,895
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) -- $117,815
George Allen (R-Va.) -- $83,168
John Ensign (R-Nev.) -- $74,636
Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) -- $66,720
Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) -- $65,647
Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) -- $65,000
Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) -- $58,724
Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) -- $57,077
ACCOUNTING INDUSTRY: 2000 PRESIDENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
During the 2000 presidential campaign, the accounting industry campaign
contributions were weighted heavily to candidate George W. Bush. Three out of
his top ten contributors were accounting firms, with Ernst & Young ranking
number four ($179,949); Andersen Worldwide ranking number five ($145,650) and
PriceWaterhouseCoopers ranking number eight ($127,798). Only one accounting
firm ranked on Al Gore's top ten: Ernst & Young was his largest contributor
($134,925).
1999-2000 Election Cycle:
| Rank |
Candidate |
Party Affiliation |
Amount |
|
| 1 |
George W. Bush |
Republican |
$1,110,604 |
| 2 |
Al Gore |
Democrat |
$399,580 |
| 3 |
Bill Bradley |
Democrat |
$352,000 |
| 4 |
Dan Quayle |
Republican |
$29,000 |
| 5 |
Elizabeth Dole |
Republican |
$25,200 |
| 6 |
Lamar Alexander |
Republican |
$20,545 |
| 7 |
Gary Bauer |
Republican |
$17,135 |
| 8 |
Steve Forbes |
Republican |
$16,550 |
| 9 |
Pat Buchanan |
Reform |
$16,430 |
| 10 |
Alan Keyes |
Republican |
$14,800 |
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