Indianapolis-based Anthem footed $460,000 to election campaigns of governors and state attorneys general in hopes to sway approval for its $54 billion acquisition of Bloomfield, Conn.-based Cigna, International Business Times reported.
In the past three months, Anthem funneled $210,000 into the Republican Governors Association and $200,000 into the Democratic Governors Association, according to IBT's review of disclosed second quarter campaign finance filings. Anthem also gave $50,000 to political group "Unity Convention 2016," a Democratic affiliate, and $50,000 to the Democratic Attorneys General Association.
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy heads the DGA, which gained money from Anthem in the midst of a 30-day comment period initiated by the Connecticut Office of State Ethics as it considers a petition to investigate Insurance Commissioner Katharine Wade's possible conflict of interest in the merger. Ms. Wade previously lobbied for Cigna and has familial ties to Cigna employees.
Anthem and Cigna allocated a combined $1.1 million to the DGA in 2015 throughout Gov. Malloy's process of nominating Ms. Wade, according to IBT.
Earlier this month Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen voiced concern about the deal, saying it could decrease competition and raise costs. However, Mr. Jepsen told IBT the donations are "both legal and entirely appropriate for DAGA to accept," though, "individual attorneys general should, when soliciting contributions, exercise appropriate discretion according to their own conscience."
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