Big Oil Donated $383000 To The Lawmakers Grilling Its Executives About Gas Prices Almost All The Contributions Went To Republicans
Big oil companies contributed $383,000 in support of the lawmakers questioning their executives at a committee hearing on Wednesday, 97% of which went to Republicans, according to data from the Federal Election Commission.
Executives from six oil companies are scheduled to testify about gas prices before the House Committee on Energy and Commerces sub panel on oversight. PACs for BP America, Chevron, Devon Energy, ExxonMobil, Pioneer Natural Resources, Shell and the American Petroleum Institute, a trade association, have supported 10 of the committees 19 members.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers the largest recipient on the subcommittee, hauled in contributions of $134,000. PACs for all six firms and API have backed her campaign. The senior Republican on the panel, Rep. Morgan Griffith of Virginia, comes in second with $97,000.
Subcommittee Chair Diana DeGette and Rep. Frank Pallone , chair of the entire committee, have each reported accepting $3,500 from the firms.
The breakdown of the donations to other committee members:
Companies Like Amazon And Cvs Have Donated Millions To Anti
Despite claiming to support abortion and reproductive freedom, corporations are donating millions of dollars to conservative groups that oppose abortion and support bans on the medical procedure.
As reported by Popular Information, in the last six years, corporations like Amazon, Walgreens and Google have made hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to anti-abortion political committees like the Republican Partys leadership funds the National Republican Senatorial Committee , the Republican State Leadership Committee and the Republican Governors Asociation . Other corporations like Coca-Cola, CVS and Walmart have each given over a million dollars to such groups since 2016.
Together, Amazon, AT& T, Citigroup, Coca-Cola, Comcast, CVS, General Motors, Google, T-Mobile, Walgreens, Walmart, Wells Fargo and Verizon have spent at least $15.2 million to support anti-abortion politicians, according to publicly available political spending disclosures. This total doesnt include donations made through private corporate lobbyists or support for right-wing nonprofits like the Heritage Foundation, as those donations dont need to be disclosed under current campaign finance laws.
As the Supreme Court hinted it will soon do this week, right-wingers have been working to overturn Roe v. Wade for decades, and these companies have thus contributed to the erosion of reproductive rights.
Chevron Donates $30000 To The Texas Gop Sponsors 2022 Convention
Chevron was also a sponsor of the 2022 Texas Republican Party convention, appearing at the top center of event signage.
Chevron also donated $30,000 to the Texas GOP in March and April of 2020.
While the convention excluded the states largest conservative LGBTQ group and derided LGBTQ people as abnormal, Chevron touts its alliance and support of the LGBTQ+ community. It posted a five-minute video on YouTube promoting its support of LGBTQ employees.
Chevron did not respond to a request for comment.
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Companies Making Massive Donations To Political Campaigns
Together, they donated nearly $700 million. Start a Business
Following the new controversial voting law in Georgia and the slew of companies from Delta to Coca Cola voicing their disapproval, Republican leader Mitch McConnell told companies to stay out of politics.
Our private sector must stop taking cues from the Outrage-Industrial Complex. Americans do not need or want big business to amplify disinformation or react to every manufactured controversy with frantic left-wing signaling, he said in a statement.
However, McConnell was quickly reminded about the Citizens United vs. Federal Electoral Commission case, which he supported in 2010, that enables corporations and other outside groups to spend unlimited funds on elections. The argument is being made both ways.
Companies That Embrace The Democratic Party
Political expression is not always about the personal feelings or inclinations of the chief executive. A company might also support a political stance for a chance to drive sales among a certain demographic of customers.
Contemporary American brands like Apple, Starbucks, and Ben & Jerrys have openly embraced the agenda of the Democratic party. Such actions may appeal to Democrats and other left-leaning citizens who want to see support for causes for which they support. If those companies no longer support such stances, they might risk losing segments of their desired customer base.
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Companies Overlooking Racial Justice Commitments
Dozens of companies publicly opposed the restrictive voting bills passed in the wake of the election and released statements speaking out against any discriminatory legislation. Many others condemned systemic racism during the racial justice protests in the summer of 2020, which followed a series of murders of Black Americans by police and armed vigilantes. But these same companies have continued to fund officials officials both directly and through GOP party committees who have questioned election integrity in order to limit voting rights and claimed that vote totals from cities with significant Black populations and turnout were fraudulent, in order to justify contesting the election results.
Home Depot, JP Morgan, Delta Airlines, UPS and many others spoke out against new voting laws in Georgia as racist, while hundreds of other companies including American Airlines, Ford, General Motors and Johnson & Johnson signed a full page New York Times ad condemning discriminatory voting legislation being passed nationwide. Despite taking these pro-democracy stances in public, many of these companies have continued to fund members of Congress who voted against a free and fair election and the Republican party committees supporting them. The pharmaceutical company Merck, whose CEO co-organized the Times ad, has given $68,000 to the Sedition Caucus and the party committees through its PAC.
New York Times ad via New York TimesDavid Gelles/CREW illustration
Big Tech Companies Donated Nearly $2 Million To Republican Sedition Caucus
WASHINGTON, D.C. The political action committees and employees of five big tech companies Amazon, Facebook, Google, Apple, and Microsoft donated nearly $2 million since 2016 to the 147 Republicans lawmakers who voted against certifying President Joe Bidens 2020 election victory, according to a report released today from Public Citizen.
Amazon and Google were the most generous givers to the sedition caucus, contributing $565,000 and $595,000 to the election objectors, respectively. Amazon backed 89 of the 147 lawmakers who objected to the election results.
Big Tech companies rushed to distance themselves from this months attempted coup by deplatforming then-President Donald Trump as well as accounts and services whose users advocated violence to overturn the election, such as Parler, said Jane Chung, big tech accountability advocate for Public Citizen and author of the report. But these same companies had for years powered the sedition caucus with campaign contributions.
Big Techs pause in political spending is a nice start, but its not nearly enough, the report reads. Its time for Big Tech to shut down, once and for all, its political spending to shut down its PACs permanently, to commit not to fund super PACs or Dark Money groups, and to disclose money it gives to trade associations that also fund these candidates.
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After Faking Jan 6 Outrage Big Companies Still Donate To Gop Election Deniers
Several large corporations that previously condemned the on the U.S. Capitol, including some who pledged not to fund its sympathizers in Congress, have resumed donating to Republican lawmakers who tried to overturn the 2020 election.
Thats according to a report from the corporate watchdog Accountable.US, the same group that previously outed corporations for similar hypocrisy on voting rights. The new report, titled In Bad Company, includes Boeing, UPS, FedEx, Cigna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson among a list of companies that claimed to support democracy in public only to quietly continue funding its biggest opponents.
These unscrupulous companies will bear responsibility for the attacks on democracy that have happened and will follow.
CEOs were quick to forgive and forget the election objectors rhetoric and actions that were a major escalation factor in the lead up to the assault on democracy, the report says. The question is, did these companies honestly care about preserving our democracy in the first place?
The report profiles 20 large corporations and found they donated over $8.1 million to the 147 members of the Sedition Caucus, a label given to Republicans who voted against the certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.
League Of Conservation Voters
– Total contributions: $6,962,122— Total hard money: $1,365,097 — Total outside money: $5,597,025 — Contributions to Democrats: $6,955,451 — Contributions to Republicans: $825 – Political lean: solidly Democrat/liberal- Top recipient of individual funds: Theresa Greenfield
The League of Conservation Voters, which supports environmental causes, is backing Democrat Theresa Greenfield, a businesswoman challenging Iowas Republican incumbent Sen. Joni Ernst. The seat is considered key to whether Democrats take control of the U.S. Senate in the November election. The Iowa race has drawn considerable out-of-state funding, mostly in support of the Democratic challenger.
— Total hard money: $1,039,044 — Total outside money: $6,000,400 — Contributions to Democrats: $31,110 — Contributions to Republicans: $7,008,334 – Political lean: solidly Republican/conservative- Top recipient of individual funds: Cory Gardner
Citadel LLC is a Chicago-based hedge fund managed by billionaire Kenneth Griffin, who in 2020 has donated heavily in support of police, paying for protective equipment and cleaning supplies. In 2018, he pledged several million dollars for police initiatives that included technology for faster processing of surveillance videos and programs to fight gun violence.
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How Companies Have Broken Promises And Funded Seditionists
Here’s what you need to know:
Since the insurrection, 717 corporations and industry groups have funneled over $18 million to the re-election of members of Congress who objected to the 2020 presidential election results and the party committees supporting them. As calls for insurrection accountability reach the one year mark, one thing is for certain: our democracy cannot recover from the insurrection while Corporate America continues to spend millions of dollars bankrolling seditionist members of Congress.
On January 6, an armed and violent mob stormed the Capitol. It was the first time the building had been breached since the War of 1812. At the end of the day, the death toll stood at five. The attackers assaulted nearly 140 police officers. Four more officers would die by suicide in the following months. Lawmakers came within seconds of tragedy at the hands of the rioters. The crowd constructed a gallows on the Capitol steps to chants of Hang Mike Pence!
The campaign to subvert democracy also included congressional votes. Many Republicans in Congress pledged to object during the certification process, fanning the flames that drove Trump supporters to attack the Capitol. Even after the violent attack forced lawmakers to evacuate for fear of their lives, 147 Republican members of Congress still voted against certifying the election results.
Other Corporations Backing The Texas Republican Party
Other major corporations did not sponsor the 2022 convention but have supported the Texas GOP over the last two years.
Verizon: $15,000 to the Texas Republican Party
Verizon donated $15,000 to the Texas Republican Party on September 3, 2020.
The Texas GOP’s new platform states: “We oppose all efforts to validate transgender identity.” Verizon has publicly validated transgender identity, pitching its service as a way for trans people to “stay connected.”
Anheuser-Busch also claims to have “a strong foundation when it comes to addressing issues of inequality and fighting systemic racism by promoting fundamental civil rights.” The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which the Texas Republican Party wants to repeal, is a core law that protects fundamental civil rights.
Anheuser-Busch did not respond to a request for comment.
The rest
Other corporations that have supported the Texas Republican Party since 2020 include Altria Juul Labs , Microsoft , and NuStar Logistics . None of these companies responded to a request for comment.
UPDATE : This piece was updated to reflect Pepsis claim that it did not sponsor the 2022 Texas Republican Convention.
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Bernard Marcus Family Foundation
– Total contributions: $5,197,241— Total hard money: $2,447,241 — Total outside money: $2,750,000 — Contributions to Democrats: $0 — Contributions to Republicans: $5,197,241 – Political lean: solidly Republican/conservative- Top recipient of individual funds: David Perdue
The Bernard Marcus Family Foundation supports social programs such as education and mental health services. Based in Atlanta, it was launched in 1989 by Bernard Marcus, who co-founded Home Depot, the home improvement store chain. In March 2020, a business group founded by Marcus was campaigning for release of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19, saying it was being held up by red tape and regulation. The treatment was unproven and unapproved.
— Total hard money: $5,143,501 — Total outside money: $59,608 — Contributions to Democrats: $4,187,158 — Contributions to Republicans: $978,488 – Political lean: leans Democrat/liberal- Top recipient of individual funds: Bernie Sanders
Amazon employees threw their support behind Bernie Sanders, who was first among the 2019 Democratic presidential contenders in money raised from tech company workers. Sanders is a democratic socialist who advocates for worker rights, while and has come under criticism for its working conditions.
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Cubic Corporation Lkq Corporation And The Sierra Nevada Corporation
Forbes also reported that defense contractor Cubic Corporation gave to at least eight lawmakers who refused to certify, auto-parts distributor LKQ Corporation to at least eight, and aerospace company Sierra Nevada Corporation to least seven.
Cubic declined to comment, while LKQ Corporation and the Sierra Nevada Corporation did not respond to Insider’s request for comment.
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Tracking The Top Donations
top donors
The top five corporations or big corporate lobbyists that donated to election objectors since January, by total amount donated.
Contributions made by the companies displayed on this tracker were made exclusively through their respective Political Action Committees.
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The five election objectors in Congress who received the most in corporate donations since January.
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Miriam And Sheldon Adelson: $1914 Million
via U.S. Air Force
Atop the list of megadonors are billionaires Miriam Adelson and her recently deceased husband, Sheldon Adelson, who ran the Sands casino empire and strongly supported Trump. Together they gave over $191 million to six super PACs and two party-aligned groups, the NRCC and the National Republican Senatorial Committee , helping to seat dozens of politicians who denied the results of the election.
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Corporations Donated Millions Of Dollars To Republicans Who Voted To Overturn Presidential Election
After 147 Republican members of Congress voted to overturn the presidential election following the Jan. 6 violence from Donald Trumps supporters, at least 190 companies announced what seemed like a clear cut message. They were cutting off or at least rethinking their political giving strategy towards these Republicans.
But the money quickly began trickling back to the lawmakers, according to a comprehensive report by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington . The report released Wednesday shows the myriad ways that a dollar can make its way from a company to the 147 lawmakers, even without a direct donation.
To my knowledge, its the first 35,000-foot view of the landscape of corporate and industry funding of these 147 members, said Robert Maguire, CREW’s research director, in an interview Wednesday, noting that pieces have been compiled before but this is the first to include a grand total.
The group found pulling together the latest available filings that contributions totaling over $2.6 million flowed in the direction of these 147 members, a pretty significant amount early in a non-election year. The researchers additionally found that over 100 companies and industry groups contributed to that total. The money has gone either directly to lawmakers, or to their leadership PACs, or to party committees that support them.
Retail Leaders Support Both The Democratic And Republican Parties
In prior generations, maintaining an apolitical position from the public’s point of view was a safe stance for retailers to take. The risk of alienating customers has been enough to keep many organizations in the U.S. retail industry from openly revealing their political affiliations, even as some executives have chosen to quietly make personal donations or otherwise indirectly endorse their politico of choice.
Despite the broad appeal a company can maintain with consumers by not publicly picking political sides, some executives and their companies have since shown their willingness to openly express their political views, and it is becoming more obvious that both the Democratic and Republican Parties get strong support from some of the largest U.S. retailing companies in the form of financial resources and campaign endorsements.
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Companies Cutting Off 147 Republicans
Airbnb: The home-rental company is withholding its PAC donations to all of the legislators involved in contesting certification of the electoral results.
Airbnb strongly condemns last weeks attack on the US Capitol and the efforts to undermine our democratic process, the company said in a statement. We will continue to uphold our community policies by banning violent hate group members when we learn of such memberships, and the Airbnb PAC will update its framework and withhold support from those who voted against the certification of the presidential election results.
Amazon: Amazon said Monday it will withhold future political contributions from US lawmakers who voted against certifying the 2020 election results.
The Amazon PAC gives to congressional candidates on a bipartisan basis based upon the interest of our customers and our employees, an Amazon spokesperson said. Given the unacceptable attempt to undermine a legitimate democratic process, the Amazon PAC has suspended contributions to any Member of Congress who voted to override the results of the US Presidential election. We intend to discuss our concerns directly with those Members we have previously supported and will evaluate their responses as we consider future PAC contributions.
American Express: American Express said its political action committee would no longer make contributions to those 147 Republicans who voted to challenge the election results.
