US lawmakers used Genentech statements -report
NEW YORK, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Lobbyists working for biotech company Genentech wrote statements for more than a dozen lawmakers in the official record of the House debate on the health care bill, The New York Times reported on Sunday, citing e-mails.
The lobbyists, working for the U.S. biotech unit of Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX), drafted one statement for Democrats and one for Republicans, the Times said the e-mails it obtained show.
The e-mails show the statements were based on information sent from Genentech employees to one of the company's lobbyists, Matthew Berzok, a lawyer at Ryan, MacKinnon, Vasapoli & Berzok, and the statements were sent out by lobbyists at another law firm, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, according to the Times.
Genentech's political action committee and lobbyists for it and Roche have made contributions to House members, including some that have filed statements in the Congressional Record, the Times said.
Evan Morris, head of Genentech's Washington office, said there was no connection between the contributions and the statements, the Times reported.
Genentech officials could not be reached immediately for comment. (Reporting by Elinor Comlay; Editing by Leslie Adler)
