Did Tobacco Trade Ads for Votes?

WASHINGTON--The US Department of Justice is reviewing a complaint by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids that the big tobacco companies may have violated election laws by promising to run TV ads that would give senators "political cover" on the tobacco issue if they voted against the McCain tobacco control bill, which was defeated last June.

The tobacco companies say that they have not funded any ads for candidates and that their ads are not political but rather advocacy ads that review the possible negative ramifications of tobacco control measures such as the McCain bill.