Vaping Lobbyist with CCP Ties Pressures Trump to Save Industry
A vaping lobbyist with deep connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is intensifying efforts to influence the Trump administration to protect the flavored vaping industry.
Tony Abboud, executive director of the Vapor Technology Association (VTA), has been identified by Fox News Digital as having significant ties to the CCP. Despite his group’s support for Trump’s 2024 campaign and involvement in get-out-the-vote efforts, Abboud’s affiliations raise concerns among some in the Trump administration and Republican leadership. The VTA, under Abboud’s leadership, has formed the Global Vape Alliance with the Electronic Cigarette Industry Committee of the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce (ECCC), an entity of the CCP. This alliance aims to promote the global vaping industry and share strategies for industry development. Critics argue that VTA’s lobbying efforts favor Chinese interests over American ones, a claim Abboud refutes by emphasizing his shift from Democrat to Republican due to Trump’s policies. The controversy comes at a time when the vaping industry faces scrutiny over its ties to China and the influx of illicit vape products into the U.S. market.