Pfizer spinoff Zoetis forms political committee

Introduction

While drug manufacturing giant Pfizer‘s animal health spinoff was making headlines Friday for a blockbuster initial public stock offering, it was quietly entering the political arena, too.

Zoetis Inc., which specializes in health products for pets and livestock, has created a political action committee it’s calling the Zoetis Good Government Fund, according to organizational documents filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Meredith K. Lesher, an attorney at the Williams & Jensen law firm whose election experience includes working for Secretary of State John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, is serving as the PAC’s treasurer, its filing indicates.

Zoetis Good Government Fund’s federal filing states it’s affiliated with the Pfizer PAC, which ranks among the most active PACs in the nation.

During the 2012 election cycle, for example, Pfizers PAC directed more than $1 million to federal-level political candidates, splitting the cash almost evenly between Republicans and Democrats, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. It also made numerous contributions in 2011 and 2012 to federal political party committees and politicians’ leadership PACs.

Zoetis’ stock ended Friday up nearly 20 percent from its initial offering price of $26. Forbes noted that the company’s initial public offering rased $2.2 billion, making it the largest IPO since Facebook went public.