PAC Rat

One hopes they remembered to get a receipt. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), who sponsored legislation restricting the use of vehicle data for marketing purposes, received more than $20,000 during the 1993-’98 election cycle from political action committees sponsored by direct mail-related organizations.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, $2,000 came from the Direct Marketing Association’s political action committee, Direct.Voice, during the ’97-’98 election cycle.

The DMA political action committee gave an additional $3,000 during the 1998-’99 cycle.

Other direct marketing-related organizations represented include Arizona Mail Order Co. ($3,000), R.R. Donnelley & Sons ($3,000), Mail Boxes Etc. ($1,000), Advo Inc. ($1,000) and the Advertising Mail Marketing Association – now known as the Association for Postal Commerce – ($1,000).

United Parcel Service was a particularly large donor, contributing $9,500.

Direct.Voice does not publicly comment on why it makes contributions to candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, according to DMA vice president, government affairs Mark Micali. But he did say that issues come up before two committees on which Shelby sits – Appropriations and Banking, and Housing and Urban Affairs – which are relevant to the DM community.

Micali also said that there was no agreement among the various mail- and DM-related organizations that made contributions.

“Most PACs make their decisions by themselves, and that is the way we approach our decisions [regarding which candidates to support],” he said.

Direct.Voice made contributions to a number of candidates on the banking and appropriations committees, according to Micali.

“We have lobbied Sen. Shelby as we have lobbied every member of [Congress].”

The direct marketing community’s backing of Shelby also included a 1996 fundraising event. Micali said that a group of individuals comprising lobbyists, assorted PAC donors (including contributors to Direct.Voice) and others hosted a small event that raised between $8,000 and $10,000.

Shelby is a former Democrat who switched his party affiliation in 1995. He will be up for re-election in 2004.