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    There are many reasons why individuals become embroiled in corporate corruption activities - from political zealotry to over-enthusiastic activism; from gullibility to greed.
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Some key documents

1985 May 24: Newspaper article: Tobacco Institute is profitable stop.

WASHINGTON - If you're a member of Congress, you can make $1,000 to $2,000 in an hour or so by dropping by the Tobacco Institute and giving a speech.

    The Tobacco Institute — this city's cigarette lobby — doled out $129,651 in honorariums last year, making it the top giver among hundreds of groups that paid members of Congress to give speeches.

    The lawmakers reported a total of $5,257,316 in 1984 honorariums in their most recent financial disclosure reports, according to a Common Cause study released yesterday.

    The Tobacco Institute, which is financed by five major cigarette companies, gave nearly twice as much as tbe second highest giver, the National Cable Television Association.

    Other top honorarium givers, according to Common Cause, were the National Cable Television Association — $68,919; The Institute of Outdoor Advertising — $62,079 [which lobbied for tobacco billboards]; the National Association of Broadcasters — $60,979.

    The Tobacco Institute, combined with three other top givers representing tobacco interests, made honoraria payments to one-fourth of the House membership — 109 representatives — and 17 senators, including the chairmen of both the House and Senate agriculture committees, according to Common Cause

    The Tobacco Institute, R_J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. and US. Tobacco Co. Inc. paid a total of $173,634 in honorariums.

[Where is Philip Morris in this list? They were the most generous, usually equalling RJR, B&W and the Tobacco Institute combined.]

    The amount of honorariums a congressman can keep is limited to 30 percent of his or her salary. That comes to $21,710 for representatives,who make $72,366, and $21,780 for senators, who make $72,600. Excess honoraria is donated to charity.

    Fifty-six representatives earned at least $21,000 in honorariums last year. Fifty senators reported $21,000.or more in honorariums.

    The limit for an individual speech is $2,000, but some groups have the same lawmakers back three or four times — sometimes within the same day, according to Mentzinger.

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