Before the contributions to the Democrats, Enron this year had contributed $173,000 to candidates and parties, with almost 90% going to Republicans.
Since the 1989-90 election cycle, Enron has made nearly $5.8 million in campaign contributions, 73% to Republicans.
Enron's ties to Republicans and the present Bush administration were especially close. Lay raised large sums for George W. Bush's campaign.
Enron, Lay and its employees have contributed $572,350 to him over his career, far more than any other company, according to the Center for Public Integrity in Washington.
Several top administration officials have been Enron advisers or stockholders. Enron, Lay and other senior executives contributed $1.7 million in soft-money donations to politicians in the 2000 election cycle, two-thirds of it to Republicans, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Republicans clearly are sensitive to the potential political dangers. The National Republican Senatorial Committee recently returned a $100,000 check collected from Enron in November, after deciding that "it was appropriate to give it back," spokesman Dan Allen said. The Republican Governors Association last week returned an Enron donation of $60,000.