# Reynolds American **Reynolds American** is the second-largest tobacco company in the United States. Based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and owned since 2017 by British American Tobacco, it makes Camel and Newport cigarettes and Vuse e-cigarettes. Its political and lobbying money moves through a subsidiary called RAI Services Company, which is the name that appears on the filings. The company's stake in Washington is specific. Vuse is authorized for sale only in tobacco and menthol. The fruit and candy flavors that dominate the market are sold mostly by unauthorized imports. Whoever gets federal permission to sell flavored vapes legally inherits a multibillion-dollar market. ## The money **To [[Donald Trump]]'s super PACs.** RAI Services gave $10,000,000 in the 2024 cycle to Make America Great Again Inc. and $8,000,000 in the 2025–26 cycle to its successor, [[MAGA Inc]]. See [[Reynolds American 8M to MAGA Inc]]. **To Republican congressional committees.** In the 2025–26 cycle it wrote checks of $100,000 or more to fourteen other committees, about $8.2 million in all, led by the super PACs aligned with the [[Senate Leadership Fund]] and the [[Congressional Leadership Fund]]. **To the ballroom.** Reynolds is among the companies reported to have contributed to the [[White House Ballroom Project]]. The amount has not been disclosed. ## The lobbyist Reynolds hired [[Ballard Partners]] in February 2017, three weeks after Trump's first inauguration, and has kept the firm on retainer ever since. Founder [[Brian Ballard]] is named on the account. From the start of 2025 through September 2026 the company paid the firm $1,110,000. ## May 2026 - **April 30.** RAI Services gives $5,000,000 to MAGA Inc. - **May 2.** Trump has lunch at his Jupiter, Florida, golf club with a Reynolds executive, Ballard lobbyists and two [[Altria]] executives. The *New York Times* reported that the guests complained about the [[FDA]] and that Trump called his health officials from the table. - **The following week.** The FDA authorizes its first fruit-flavored e-cigarettes, made by a smaller company, and issues guidance that could let the large tobacco companies follow. - **Days later.** FDA commissioner [[Marty Makary]] resigns. In November 2026, Makary said tobacco companies had used their connections to administration and health officials to press for the approvals. Former health adviser [[Calley Means]] went further and said the White House chief of staff's office had pushed the change for Ballard's clients. Ballard says his firm never asked White House staff to authorize fruit-flavored vapes and that the lunch was with the President. See [[MAGA vs. MAHA]]. The White House has said the donation and the decision were unrelated. ## See also - [[Reynolds American 8M to MAGA Inc]] · [[MAGA vs. MAHA]] · [[Ballard Partners]] - [[Altria]] · [[Juul]] · [[FDA]] · [[Marty Makary]] - [[Regulatory Capture]] · [[Lobbying Hub]] · [[Donor Network Hub]]