Drawing heavily on the generosity of the industries his powerful committee oversees, Baltimore County Sen. Thomas L. Bromwell has raised an eye-popping $437,896 for his re-election campaign.
Medical care providers, HMOs, insurance companies, banks, racetracks and casino operators are just a few of the well-heeled interests that have poured hefty sums into the Senate Finance Committee chairman's campaign treasury, according to a campaign finance disclosure statement filed this month.
Roughly 70 percent of his contributions have come from companies and political action committees, while 30 percent have come from individuals, including many lobbyists. Bromwell raised almost $100,000 from PACs.
From the health care field alone, companies and individuals with a stake in the committee's decisions contributed at least $60,000 to the Perry Hall Democrat's campaign.
Their largess has helped Bromwell raise a total of $114,816 since filing his last report in November -- pushing his campaign committee past Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller's as that chamber's top money generator.
Miller, who has used much of his fund-raising prowess to raise money for a slate of Democratic senators, has added $431,310 to his own campaign treasury during the four-year election cycle.
House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr. leads the legislative fund-raisers with $836,528, but his amount includes money he raised when he was considering a run for governor.
Fund raising on that scale is not surprising for the General Assembly's presiding officers. The Senate president and speaker of the House are two of the three most powerful officials in Maryland, and each commands a statewide following.
General Assembly committee chairmen are also potent players on the Annapolis scene, and their clout lets them raise far more money than the typical senator or delegate. But Bromwell's ability as a money magnet far exceeds any of his fellow chairmen.
Kathleen S. Skullney, executive director of Common Cause/Maryland, called Bromwell's hefty fund raising "an astonishing perversion of the political process."
"When you get into large donations from special interests, the other side of that is you have to serve those special interests," Skullney said.
Big spender
Bromwell has spent nearly as lavishly as his donors gave.
From the end of the 1994 election cycle through Aug. 11, he spent $316,746 -- leaving him with a cash balance of $126,868 on hand for the rest of his re-election campaign.
He has no Democratic challenger in the Sept. 15 primary but faces a late-starting, underfinanced Republican challenge from former Del. William Rush, who reported raising $5,550 -- $5,000 from his own pocket.
Bromwell's fund-raising power is in large part due to the subject matter that comes before his committee. The Finance Committee oversees regulation of health care, labor, insurance, utilities, banking, horse racing and a host of other high-stakes industries.
As committee head for the past four years, Bromwell has left his mark on some of the most important legislation to move through the General Assembly -- including HMO regulation, children's health and protections for patients who need experimental medical treatments.
The self-described "moderate to conservative" Democrat takes pride in being a consensus-builder whose committee avoids partisan rancor. Lobbyists on both sides of contentious issues say he treats them fairly.
A loyal lieutenant of Miller, the four-term senator is also a nearly impenetrable roadblock to legislation the Senate president doesn't want passed.
Health industries contribute
The biggest givers among the industries that come before the Finance Committee are in the field of health care. Bromwell has been able to tap into givers on virtually every side of every power struggle or turf battle before the committee -- HMOs, doctors, chiropractors, surgical outpatient centers, nursing homes and pharmacies.
But the senator has also been adept at raising money from the insurance industry, which has given him at least $11,500, and the financial services sector, which has been good for at least $14,200. These figures are conservative estimates that for the most part do not include individuals with an interest in a certain industry.
While the Finance Committee does not oversee alcoholic beverages or tobacco, Bromwell has additionally been able to raise impressive sums from those industries.
A former tavern owner, Bromwell raised at least $28,000 from bars, restaurants, package stores, liquor wholesalers and their political action committees. At least $8,500 came from tobacco distributors and manufacturers.
Those industries found a valuable ally in Bromwell on the last day of this year's session, when his threat to stage a filibuster killed a bill that would have banned coin-operated cigarette vending machines in most public places.
Bromwell said his opposition to the bill had nothing to do with contributions. "I did it for the bar owner. I did it for the small business guy," he said. "Here is another bill that's just a burden on the operator."
No apologies
The senator makes no apologies for his ability to raise money, even acknowledging that he is receiving so much money because of his powerful committee chairmanship.
But he also notes that he is one of nine Democratic senators that Republicans identified as targets in their plans to seize control of the upper chamber.
"I'm not going to run the risk of outside Republican money com- ing in. I shouldn't be in the position of losing an election because of money. Throw me out because I don't vote right or don't represent my people well. I don't think that's the case," he said.
Bromwell's eastern Baltimore County district is a traditional Democratic stronghold that has been drifting toward the Republicans in recent elections.
He said his active fund raising is motivated in part by two close calls in 1994, when aggressive challengers held him to 55 percent of the vote in both the primary and the general election.
By raising immense sums early in his term, Bromwell was able to stave off his most formidable potential challengers. Rush, a 78-year-old former Democrat who jumped into the race just before the deadline, said he asked 30 to 40 people to run against the incumbent but was invariably told Bromwell had too much money.
"I think it's a crying shame to allow anybody to perpetrate this kind of disgrace on the taxpayers of our district and maybe the whole state of Maryland," Rush said.
Bromwell said that in many cases he pays for expenses that he could charge off to the state out of campaign funds. And he denied that money could buy his vote.
'Might get access'
"I'm not going to say that people who make donations do not get access," he said. "They might get access. They might not get my vote if I don't think they're right."
One secret of Bromwell's success as a fund-raiser is that he makes giving fun. The 49-year-old legislator is a gregarious man with a ready wit, an unpretentious manner, the Senate's most pronounced "Bawlamer" accent and a love for a good party.
"I think his fund raising is a result of his very popular personality and his openness," said Paul A. Tiburzi, an Annapolis lobbyist and Bromwell donor. "People feel a real affection toward him."
Bromwell's annual Jamaican "Me Crazy" party draws large crowds. This June, he paid more than $20,000 to stage the $100-a-ticket event at the Bay Cafe in Canton. "You can eat well, you can drink well. You could close your eyes and think you're in Jamaica," Bromwell said.
His bulging treasury has allowed him to play Santa Claus to his fellow lawmakers. The chairman's $75,000 contribution to the Democratic incumbent senators' campaign fund is second only to Miller's $140,000. Bromwell's campaign has also made almost $20,000 in donations to fellow politicians.
Most were to fellow Democrats, including $5,000 to Prince George's County Sen. Gloria G. Lawlah and $3,000 to Baltimore County Sen. Delores G. Kelley -- both of whom face stiff primary fights. But one of Bromwell's $3,000 gifts went to Republican Sen. John W. Derr, a Frederick County moderate who is being challenged in the Sept. 15 primary by a hard-core conservative.
Bromwell said he was helping out some good people -- most of them members of his committee -- who haven't had as much of an opportunity to raise money as he has. But the senator also acknowledged that his generosity could give him an edge in a future leadership struggle whenever Miller ends his record tenure as Senate president.
"I'm looking to one day move up," said Bromwell, who also expressed interest in running for Baltimore County executive when C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger leaves office.
The senator's spending on his constituents, supporters and staff has been no less lavish.
Field expenses
Since 1995, he has racked up more than $28,000 in spending under the catch-all category of "field expenses." He spent more than $12,000 on wining, dining and otherwise entertaining his supporters -- including $1,068 for rentals of the Crown Central Petroleum Corp.'s skybox at Oriole Park and $2,179 to Aramark Corp. for catering at the ballpark.
Bromwell said he rents the skybox each year in order to take his campaign workers -- not lobbyists -- to the ballpark. He paid from $300 to $460 for each rental.
Crown spokesman Joseph Coale said the price was based on the face value of the tickets. Similar size boxes rented directly from the Orioles run from $1,400 to $2,000 a game. Crown pays $105,000 a year -- or $1,296 per game -- for the box, though the company can use it at other times.
The senator's campaign finance reports also show that Bromwell has spent at least $7,709 on taking friends, staff and supporters to elegant restaurants. On April 7, he picked up a $1,253 tab for taking his committee and staff to Lewne's Steakhouse in Annapolis. On Feb. 16, he paid Maria's Ristorante in Annapolis $1,050 for catering a dinner reception.
Nothing disclosed in Bromwell's campaign finance report is on its face illegal. The attorney general's office has said that there must be a "clear and reasonable connection" between the spending and the promotion of the candidate, but candidates have broad discretion to decide what helps them get elected.
Too broad, according to Skullney. "When you've got all this money, it raises serious doubts that it's being used for legitimate re-election purposes," she said.
Following the rules
But Bromwell said he's following the rules "to a T."
A review of his peers' campaign fund-raising reports showed that while Bromwell's fund raising and spending are apparently legal, they are hardly typical.
For example, Bromwell's two closest counterparts on the House side, Chairman Michael E. Busch of the Economic Matters Committee and Chairman Ron Guns of the Environmental Matters Committee, together raised less than half the amount the senator put in the bank. Busch, an Annapolis Democrat, raised $163,924; Guns, a Cecil County Democrat, amassed only $32,636.
The closest any committee chairman came to matching Bromwell's spending was Del. Howard P. Rawlings, who leads the House Appropriations Committee. The Baltimore Democrat raised $218,701.
In the Senate, the next leading money-raiser among the chairmen was Sen. Barbara A. Hoffman, who heads the powerful Budget and Taxation Committee. She raised $100,353, of which $964 was used for field expenses.
Bromwell's benefactors
These are some of the people, companies and political action committees that have contributed large amounts to Sen. Thomas L. Bromwell's re-election campaign. The contribution limit per cycle is $6,000 for PACs and $4,000 for individuals and companies.
Brian H. Davis* $6,200
Associated Utility Contractors of Md. $6,000
Art Modell** $5,000
Bally's Casino Resort*** $4,000
Cardiac Surgery Associates $4,000
Gleneagles Office LLC $4,000
Winters Run West Ltd. Partners $4,000
Baltimore County Licensed Beverage Association PAC $4,000
Edward G. Schafer Refuse Service $3,950
EPIC Pharm PAC $3,700
Schafer Trash Removal Inc. $3,350
HFAM Maryland Nursing Home PAC $3,000
Spectrum Health Care Corp. $3,000
Health Policy Leadership Alliance $3,000
MBC State PAC $3,000
Maryland Medical PAC $3,000
Maryland Realtors PAC $3,000
NationsBank of Maryland PAC $3,000
Restaurant Association of Maryland PAC $3,000
Gerber's Inc. $2,750
Maryland BankPAC $2,500
Blue Cross/Blue Shield Employees PAC $2,300
Maryland IPA PAC $2,250
Dining Out Enterprises $2,200
DRIVE Political Fund $2,200
Thomas Kaiser $2,100
Mary Mullan $2,000
Maryland Hotel & Motel Association*** $2,000
Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 486 PAC $2,000
HSM Inc./Emerald Tavern $2,000
Crown Central Petroleum PAC $2,000
David & June Trone $2,000
The Barn $1,900
All Risks Ltd. $1,850
Albert J. Zawicki $1,700
B & K Distributors $1,600
Nationwide Maryland State PAC $1,600
Maryland Dental PAC $1,600
Baltimore County Firefighters PAC $1,500
Baltimore Orioles $1,500
CAM Construction Co. $1,500
Dulaney Eye Institute LLC $1,500
Maryland Optometric Association PAC $1,500
Maryland Trial Lawyers Assn. PAC $1,500
Charles J. Gallagher $1,500
Arthur M. Goldberg $1,500
James Oakey $1,500
One Call Concepts $1,500
PIE Mutual Insurance Co. $1,500
Service Corporation International PAC $1,500
* Includes donations in other names that Davis, now serving a sentence for bank fraud, has admitted to. According to Bromwell, an amount equal to these donations has since been given to charity.
** $1,000 refunded.
*** Includes affiliates.
Judiciary Commitee: $0*
*Vallario's campaign funds are pooled with other members of District 27 slate. House Commerce and Government Matters Committee chairmanship is vacant. Pub Date: 8/30/98