Only a small number of major corporations that vowed to suspend PAC donations to 147 Republican lawmakers who voted against certifying the 2020 election results have actually done so, The Hill is reporting.
Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Verizon are among the 10 biggest corporate PAC donors that followed through on their pledges, according to The Hill, which attributes the information to the most recent Federal Election Commission filings.
AT&T, Comcast, General Electric, Home Depot, Pfizer, and Walmart, have been helping to fund party committees or leadership PACs that can easily send campaign cash to election objectors, The Hill noted.
But the outlet pointed out those company PACs have not made direct donations to the lawmakers’ campaigns.
The Hill reported that after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, AT&T donated $5,000 to the House Conservatives Fund, a leadership PAC affiliated with Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La.
Johnson was one of those who backed the effort to overturn the 2020 election.
And The Hill said that the National Republican Senatorial Committee received $15,000 from Comcast. The NRSC is headed by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla And Comcast donated $15,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee, which is affiliated with House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
Both Scott and McCarthy voted against certifying the election results.
And Pfizer, Walmart, and Home Depot also contributed to one or both of the GOP party committees, which are working to reelect Republican election objectors, The Hill said.
Most companies have not detailed just how long they will suspend PAC donations.
"PAC managers have been talking with and listening to employees, members, senior leadership and other stakeholders to review and develop criteria and guidelines to assist in decisions around contributions," said Kristin Brackemyre, director of PAC and government relations at the Public Affairs Council.
Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported Thursday that Toyota announced its political action committee would not make donations to GOP lawmakers who objected to certifying the presidential election results.
"Toyota is committed to supporting and promoting actions that further our democracy," the company. "We understand that the PAC decision to support select members of Congress who contested the results troubled some stakeholders. We are actively listening to our stakeholders and, at this time, we have decided to stop contributing to those members of Congress who contested the certification of certain states in the 2020 election."
Toyota had earlier defended donating to the GOP lawmakers, saying that members of Congress should not be judged for that one vote. Axios had reported that the Japanese automaker led in the number of donations made to the lawmakers, having donated $55,000 to 37 GOP legislators.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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