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Political Contributions

Purpose
Amgen recognizes the importance of sound public policy in achieving our goal of serving patients by providing therapies that have the power to restore health or even save lives.  Accordingly, Amgen participates in the political process and supports those candidates, committees, and other organizations who work to advance healthcare innovation and improve patient access.

Policy

Federal Office

Although federal law prohibits corporations from making contributions in federal elections, a corporation may administer a political action committee (“PAC”) for its employees. Amgen employees may participate in the political process through Amgen PAC.

  • Amgen PAC is comprised of funds voluntarily contributed by eligible Amgen employees.
  • In making contribution decisions, the Amgen PAC Board evaluates a variety of factors, including candidate’s views on issues of importance to Amgen, committee assignments, and the presence of Amgen facilities in the candidate’s district or state.
  • Amgen PAC supports candidates of both parties.
  • Amgen is committed to conducting Amgen PAC in accordance with the federal laws and regulations that regulate activities of political action committees.
  • All PAC contributions are publicly disclosed in reports that are available on the website of the Federal Election Commission at www.fec.gov.

State and Local Elected Offices

  • In some states, corporate contributions to candidates for state or local elected offices are permissible.
  • Under certain circumstances, Amgen may lawfully contribute to other political committees and political organizations. Amgen is committed to complying with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations that govern such contributions.
  • Amgen’s Global Government Affairs department selects candidates to support based on similar criteria as the Amgen PAC.
  • Amgen retains an external political compliance vendor to review corporate political contributions and Amgen PAC disbursements. In addition, Amgen retains specialized election law counsel to assist with compliance with all applicable laws.

 

Responsibilities
The Government Affairs department regularly updates the Corporate Responsibility and Compliance Committee of the Board of Directors on political and public policy issues of importance to Amgen. As part of its oversight role, that Committee annually reviews Amgen’s policies, practices, and overall philosophy for making political contributions. Contributions are audited on a regular basis and made in accordance with company policies approved by senior management, who are charged with administering those policies and ensuring compliance with them. The Amgen Board of Directors recognizes that the use of Amgen’s resources in the political process is an important issue for stockholders.

Additional Information
To improve access to information about Amgen’s corporate political contributions in the United States, Amgen posts, on a semi-annual basis, our contributions categorized by state, candidate, and amount.

Amgen has not used corporate funds to make any direct independent expenditures on behalf of candidates running for public office. If Amgen makes independent expenditures in the future, these contributions would be disclosed, as are other corporate political contributions, via the semi-annual disclosure reports posted below.

Reports containing our political contributions can be found at the following links:

July 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012
January 1, 2012 – June 30, 2012
July 1, 2011 – December 31, 2011
January 1, 2011 – June 30, 2011
July 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010
January 1, 2010 – June 30, 2010
July 1, 2009 – December 31, 2009
January 1, 2009 – June 30, 2009
July 1, 2008 - December 31, 2008
January 1, 2008 - June 30, 2008
July 1, 2007 - December 31, 2007
January 1, 2007 - June 30, 2007

Also on a semi-annual basis, Amgen discloses political action committee contributions made to candidates and organizations in compliance with the U.S. Congress’s Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (HLOGA), at this address. (To view Amgen’s disclosures, select “registrant name (returns registrant filings only)” and select “submit.”  Then enter “Amgen Inc” in the registrant name box and select “submit.”)

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2013

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