Even though he doesn’t drink, smoke or gamble, Mitt Romney is scoring big campaign contributions from the sin industries.
Team Romney has raised nearly $11 million from gambling, liquor and tobacco businesses.
That dwarfs the $531,426 President Obama has collected from the same interests, according to an analysis conducted by the Center for Responsive Politics for The Post.
There’s irony in the idea that Romney is raising so much from businesses that promote vices forbidden by his Mormon faith.
“They’re giving money to someone who is not an advertisement for their products. Maybe they’re trying to turn over a new leaf,” quipped University of Virginia poli-sci professor Larry Sabato of the Romney donations.
But Sabato said sin industry leaders like Romney for the same reasons other business executives like him: They believe he’ll support business — or at least will be less of a nanny than Obama.
“It’s an absolute that corporations favor Republicans,” he said.
One billionaire donor accounts for much of the difference. Sheldon Adelson, owner of Las Vegas Sands Corp., and his wife have placed a $10 million bet on the pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future. The donations make the Adelsons by far the top contributors to Romney’s political action committee.
But even without the Adelson cash, Romney has collected 38 percent more from the vice squad than Obama has.But that edge was dwarfed by the non-tribal casino support for Romney – particularly the $10 million donations from the Adelsons. Romney also raised another $123,950 from other non-tribal casinos, including $25,000 from the Las Vegas-based Fertitta Entertainment, which operates non-union gaming facilities and owns the mixed martial arts company Ultimate Fighting/UFC.
Romney and his backers raised $594,324 from beer, wine and liquor interests. That’s more than double the $274,272 collected by Obama from liquor merchants.
Romney’s biggest fans were liquor wholesalers, contributing over $300,000. Obama raised $178,152 from Wine and Distilled Spirits Manufacturers – including $32,455 from Brown Forman, $18,900 from Dieageo North America and $10,000 from Puma Springs Vineyards and Phillips Distilling.
The tobacco industry backed Romney four to one over Obama — $109,750 to $25,262.
Romney rolled in $43,450 from donors connected to the Altria Group and other $42,500 from associates of Lorillard Tobacco. Big Tobacco did not show up as meaningful contributors to the pro-Obama Super PAC, Priorities USA, the analysis found.
Obama outraised Romney in one segment of the casino gambling industry: Native-American tribal casino operators.
The Indian tribes donated $197,714 to the incumbent compared to $34,450 to Romney. The Oneida Nation of New York gave $7,500 to Obama’s re-election campaign.