The Art of the StealA project of the Save America Movement
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★ Private Action

Gas-station-drug maker donates to win Vance's ear against his rivals

Donations In, Favors Out

Filed February 2026$443,000

★ The Brief

What happened

Jerry W. Ross, founder of the kratom company Botanic Tonics, gave $443,000 to the Republican National Committee around a February 2026 dinner headlined by Vice President JD Vance, then secured a private meeting with the vice president to promote natural kratom.

Who enabled it

JRJerry W. Ross

Who benefits

RCRepublican National Committee

Deal or steal?

Around the donation, Mr. Ross secured a private audience with the vice president to press for a crackdown on competing 7-OH products. Weeks earlier the administration had dropped its lawsuit against his company, and his industry was lobbying to ease kratom oversight.

★ Cast your vote

In February 2026, Jerry W. Ross, the founder of the kratom company Botanic Tonics, donated a total of $443,000 to the Republican National Committee in connection with a fund-raising dinner in New York headlined by Vice President JD Vance. Before the dinner, Mr. Ross, accompanied by the lobbyist Ches McDowell, secured a private meeting with Mr. Vance, which he used to promote the benefits of natural kratom and to urge the administration, and particularly the Drug Enforcement Administration, to clamp down on synthetic 7-OH products that compete with kratom. The donation came after the Justice Department had dropped its lawsuit against Botanic Tonics, and was part of a broader influence campaign in which Mr. Ross also gave nearly $162,000 to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s defunct presidential campaign.

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