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BEN BULLA:

In talking to some of our political friends, they say, at one time the tobacco industry played a major role in funding elections in this state. Back in the '30's, '40's and '50's, I'm not sure when it stopped. Everett Jordan, of course, was known as a fund raiser, he was named Chairman of the Democratic Party mainly because he was a fund raiser. Can you comment on that?

HORACE KORNEGAY:

Yes, I can comment on it. My own personal experience, the tobacco companies - I think this is true of the leaf dealers, warehousemen and growers, as well as the companies - made very little contribution to political campaigns. At least this was my experience up until the mid-sixties. The first two or three times I ran I don't think I got any money out of any tobacco interests. Now the last time or two I ran some of them contributed some. That's not to say that individuals employed in companies, executives and all - because campaigns in - contributions in N C have to be individual. You can't make any corporate contributions. R J Reynolds as a company can't contribute - Phillip Morris can't - but individuals employed in the company can, or the individuals can contribute to a fund and that fund can be distributed to political candidates, but I do not believe that the tobacco companies, as such, took too much of a financial position in campaigns. Now in the State, there could have been a different story, however I have no personal knowledge of it having never run for governor nor managed a gubernatorial campaign.