GlaxoSmithKline will no longer give directly to politicians.

The drugmaker announced Monday that it will stop making direct political contributions in about 20 states where they are currently legal. Such giving is illegal in North Carolina and under federal law governing Congressional candidates.

The company gave $585,425 to candidates this year. 

"If this is the company's way of saying they're not interested in getting special access and trying to influence (lawmakers') thinking through money, that's worth applauding," said Massie Ritsch, a spokesman for the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington. "But on a practical basis, this won't make a lot of difference."

The company will continue its lobbying efforts, which it spent $8.2 million on last year, and support a political action committee run by its U.S. workers that gave more than $1.5 million. (N&O)

Political committees, including PACs gave the candidates for governor $468,000.

The largest share of contributions to both candidates came from individual donors.

Democratic Party committees gave Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue $1.1 million in the last three months. That represents 25 percent of her contributions in the recent quarter. Other political committees such as other campaigns or political action committees gave her $297,151, or 6 percent of her donations. Those committees, unlike political parties, are limited to a maximum of $4,000 per election cycle. Individual contributors gave 69 percent of the money she received.

The rest came from interest or refunds.

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory received $311,401 from Republican Party committees. That represents 10 percent of the money he reported raising. He received 84 percent — $2.6 million from individual contributors and 6 percent, or $311,401 from political committees.

The rest came from refunds or interest.

McCrory got a $4,000 donation from a Coca-Cola political action committee. Perdue got $4,00 from a Pepsi committee.

More PACs that gave $4,000 after the jump.

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Three members of the State Board of Education are in line to travel to China in November, if a few companies open their checkbooks.

Board members Wayne McDevitt, Patricia N. Willoughby and  Melissa Bartlett are invited to a conference of “education ministers” as part of the board's exchange program with China’s Jiangsu Province.

Board chairman Howard Lee said he was looking to raise up to $20,000 for their trip from GlaxoSmithKline, Lenovo, and Jim and Ann Goodnight. Jim Goodnight is the SAS Institute CEO.

The state board and the provincial education department formally agreed this year to collaborate on classroom and student projects, hold joint conference and host exchanges for students and teachers.

Teachers from China visited North Carolina last spring. The N.C. Center for International Understanding sent 23 teachers and principals to China last year. No state money was used for their travel.

This November's conference registration fee includes sightseeing on the final two days, including a visit to the Great Wall, the Olympic stadium and Tiananmen Square.

McDevitt said board members may not be able to stay for the days that include trips to tourist attractions because they want to visit partnership schools.

The partnership aims to give North Carolina students the chance to work on projects with students from other countries, learn other languages and engage in other activities they’ll need for the workplace, said Stephanie Caplan, the center’s spokeswoman.

A GlaxoSmithKline executive is hosting a fundraiser for GOP gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory on the Research Triangle campus of the pharmaceutical giant.

Stephen Stefano, the senior vice president for managed markets and neurohealth, sent out a letter urging people to attend the event at the corporate facility on Aug. 13, Rob Christensen reports.

The letter was sent to at least some vendors who do work with GlaxoSmithKline.

"As mayor, Pat has been a national leader on economic, transportation and public safety issues," Stefano writes. "As a former Duke Energy executive, he understands the importance of the business climate to a vibrant North Carolina."

Update: McCrory spokeswoman Amy Auth said that the letter is incorrect, and the fundraiser will be held at another location -- not on the GSK campus.

"It was sent prematurely and contained an error," she said.

She said that the letter was sent to a broad range of Triangle residents, not just vendors. 

Beverly Perdue has received $98,500 from health care-related PACs.

Political action committees representing drug companies, health care providers, insurance companies and industry associations were the single largest group of PAC donors to the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, according to campaign finance reports.

They made up about a fourth of the $376,293 she raised from PACs since her re-election in 2004. Other politicians' campaign committees were a close second, contributing $91,933, with about a third of that coming from other Democratic senators.

The biggest donors were the N.C. Hospital Association and the NP PAC, which represents nurse practitioners. Both gave $8,000. PACs for the Asheville Anesthesia Associates and the Association for Home and Hospice Care of N.C. gave $5,000 apiece. 

Drug companies whose PACs donated included GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Roche, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Wyeth, Pfizer and Abbott Labs. Pharmacy chains such as Kerr Drug, pharmacist managers Medco Health and Caremark and the PILL PAC, which represents pharmacists, also gave.

Perdue also received money from trade groups: The N.C. Medical Society, the N.C. Health Care Facilities Association, the N.C. Association of Nurse Anesthetists, the N.C. Assisted Living Association, the N.C. Association of Long Term Care Facilities and the N.C. Orthopaedic PAC. 

Perdue previously worked at a hospital and has made health care one of the signature issues in her campaign.  

Beverly Perdue has received $47,500 from political action committees in the health-care industry.

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate, who worked as a hospital consultant, received money from 22 health-care PACS in the current election cycle, according to campaign finance reports.

The donors include pharmaceutical companies, AstraZeneca International, Roche Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline and Eli Lilly & Co.; Caremark, which handles drug management programs; and pharmacists, Kerr Drug and the PILL PAC, which represents pharmacists.

She also received money from industry groups: The Nurse Practitioners PAC, the N.C. Association of Nurse Anesthetists, the N.C. Assisted Living Association, the Association for Home & Hospice Care of N.C., the N.C. Hospital Association, and the N.C. Association of Long-Term Care Facilities.

In addition, she received money from specific medical groups: Anesthesiologists of the Triad, Western Radiologists and Surgeons in Asheville, Piedmont Triad Anesthesia, Asheville Anesthesia Associates, Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants in Charlotte, the Mountain Neurological Center in Asheville, Blue Ridge Bone & Joint and Western Carolina OB/GYN.

The money made up more than a fourth of Perdue's PAC contributions. 

Senate leader Marc Basnight's general counsel is leaving.

Tonya Williams, who has worked for the Manteo Democrat for five years, will be heading the intellectual property policy division for GlaxoSmithKline in North and South America.

As counsel, Williams, 34, has drafted legislation, given advice on bills and done legal analysis, working on legislative redistricting, election law changes and tort reform, among other things.

She said she will likely leave after the session ends and start work at GlaxoSmithKline's Research Triangle Park office not long afterward.

"I had a wonderful offer from a great multinational company," she said. 

Hat Tip: Mark Johnson