Kerry fought for insurer that donated to him

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Sen. John Kerry intervened to keep open a loophole that had let a major insurer divert millions of federal dollars from the nation's most expensive construction project, then received tens of thousands of dollars from the company in the next two years, documents show.

American International Group (AIG) paid Mr. Kerry's way on a trip to Vermont and donated at least $30,000 to a tax-exempt group that Mr. Kerry had used to set up his presidential campaign. Company executives also donated $18,000 to his Senate and presidential campaigns, according to records obtained by the Associated Press.

But Mr. Kerry, the current leader of the Democratic presidential race, said there was no connection between his actions in 2000 and the donations in 2001 and 2002.

Responding to an AP report Wednesday about the donations, the Massachusetts senator said he had worked to block the legislation because it would have cost Boston's "Big Dig" project $150 million. The legislation in 2000 aimed to close a loophole that had allowed the insurer to divert millions of federal dollars from the project.

The entire Massachusetts delegation "fought to hold on to $150 million for the Big Dig, which is the most important single project in Massachusetts and New England, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the industry," Mr. Kerry said.

He said he had opposed the insurance industry on other legislative issues, including bankruptcy changes and terrorism insurance.

But some government watchdogs said Mr. Kerry's story is a textbook case of the Washington special-interest politicking that he rails against on the presidential trail.

"The idea that Kerry has not helped or benefited from a specific special interest, which he has said, is utterly absurd," said Charles Lewis, head of the Center for Public Integrity that just published a book on political donations to the presidential candidates.

"Anyone who gets millions of dollars over time, and thousands of dollars from specific donors, knows there's a symbiotic relationship," Mr. Lewis said. "He needs the donors' money. The donors need favors. Welcome to Washington. That is how it works."