Scoop: AAMC is playing dark-money games with pharma

Back in November, we solved a mystery that had been bugging STAT’s D.C team for months: Who was behind the mysterious, pharma-bashing group called “Citizens for Truth in Drug Pricing,” and where’d they get their money? It turned out the group was a joint collaboration between a few groups with a major stake in lowering drug prices: CVS Health, the pharmacy and pharmacy benefit manager chain, and the American Hospital Association. 

Now we know about a third big-money player: the American Association of Medical Colleges, the D.C. advocacy group that represents medical schools and teaching hospitals, and is best known for administering the MCAT. At the advice of an online tipster, we dived deeper into AAMC’s tax filings and learned they’d contributed $500,000 to the group in 2018. 

Reminder: This group has spent millions on sponsorships and advertising that aired on conservative radio shows hosted by personalities including Hugh Hewitt and Larry Elder. The group’s associates and contractors have ties to Rod Blagojevich, Ted Cruz, Kellyanne Conway, and the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services. Read more here.