The vaping industry is funneling money to the lobbying firm Ballard.
Posted by The Joe Rogan Experience, Checked
- Sources
- 3 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 72%
The Joe Rogan ExperienceNov 6, 2026
The record supports that tobacco and vaping interests have paid Ballard Partners for lobbying: RAI Services (a Reynolds American subsidiary that makes vapes) has paid the firm millions since 2017, and a November 5, 2026 LD-1 filing lists a tobacco and vaping product manufacturer client with tobacco and vaping lobbying issues.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… Uhm, so some of these folks I put up earlier, uhm, there's significant money flowing around to some of the folks that I mentioned, uhm, from the vaping industry. It's a massive, massive industry, uhm, and it's also the big tobacco guys are really getting into this, and uh and funneling a lot of money to Ballard. So it was well known at the White House, uhm, I don't know if I think it's Ballard, but one of the top, one of the top firms, but it was well known. This is a tagged issue, that this was this is a big one. …
The Joe Rogan Experience · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. CBS News reports that RAI Services Company, a subsidiary of tobacco giant Reynolds American, has paid Ballard Partners millions of dollars since 2017, according to lobbying records.[2]
Supports. A November 5, 2026 LD-1 federal disclosure lists Ballard Partners as registrant, a client in the tobacco and vaping product manufacturing business, and tobacco and vaping industry lobbying issues.[1]
Supports. An earlier Tobacco Lobbying tracker records Ballard Partners receiving payments for Reynolds American, showing the tobacco-to-Ballard payment relationship predates the 2026 allegations.[3]
Context. Means' allegations of favorable treatment for vaping interests are unproven, documentary evidence has not been provided, and Ballard and Wiles deny them; the payment relationship itself is not in dispute.[2][4]
Sources
4 sources: 1 primary, 1 tier 2, 2 not rated
- 1LD-1 Disclosure Formlda.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 2Susie Wiles' old lobbying firm made $186 million under Trump. Now it's caught in MAGA's feud.cbsnews.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports, context
- 3U.S. Tobacco Lobbyist and Lobbying Firm Registration Trackerash.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4MAHA vs. MAGA Drama Explainednewsweek.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Ballard Partners' clients are paying for access to Susie Wiles, and the firm shifts money to dark money groups.Can’t tell
- Ballard Partners reported $98 million in revenue in 2026.True
- The global e-cigarette and vaping industry is estimated at 24 billion dollars in 2026.False
- Congress and the Senate are shifting lobbying work to former Schumer and Jeffries staffers as part of a payment scheme.Can’t tell
- The United States tracked retail market for electronic cigarettes and vape shops was 6 billion dollars in 2025.Mixed