Special Report
Companies Bankrolling Congress Members Who Didn't Certify the Election
Published:
In the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, some of the largest U.S. companies pledged to stop donations to the 147 members of Congress who voted against certification of the Electoral College vote, as they sought to overturn the election results.
At the time, Business Roundtable, an influential group of CEOs from the country’s largest companies like Amazon and Goldman Sachs, denounced these actions. “The inexcusable violence and chaos at the Capitol makes clear that elected officials’ perpetuation of the fiction of a fraudulent 2020 presidential election is not only reprehensible, but also a danger to our democracy, our society and our country,” they said in a public statement on Jan. 7.
However, despite their pledge, some of the money from business political action committees — a tool used by corporate America to influence federal legislation and regulations — continued to flow toward the re-election campaigns and committees of the so-called “Sedition Caucus.” This term refers to the 147 Congress members who voted against the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.
The list of companies that continued to send money to support these Republicans lawmakers after Jan. 6 — as compiled by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington — includes Business Roundtable members Fox Corporation and Lockheed Martin. They loudly criticized these elected officials but quietly continued to send money toward them anyway. (Here is the worst corruption scandal in each state.)
During the 2019-2020 election cycle, business-related PACs donated more than $379 million to the campaigns of federal lawmakers, with 57% of the money flowing toward Republicans, according to the political transparency group OpenSecrets.org. Donations by business PACs reflect the political priorities of corporate America. (Here is how Americans felt about the state of the nation every year this century.)
Executives at these companies decided to prioritize corporate influence of federal lawmakers over punishing those whose actions were “reprehensible,” in the CEOs’ words.
Click here to see companies bankrolling congress members who didn’t certify the election
To determine the companies bankrolling congress members who did not certify the election, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a list compiled by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington or CREW. Figures are as of Aug. 22.
CREW’s list includes large, public-facing corporations that have donated funds to the campaigns or leadership political action committees of the 147 members of Congress who voted not to certify the 2020 election results, or to the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee. NRSC and NRCC are the two “main Republican party committees supporting these members,” according to CREW. Revenue figures came from the company’s publicly filed financial documents.
Bacardi USA
> Total contributions: $1,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: N/A
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JetBlue Airways
> Total contributions: $1,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $3.0 billion
Fox Corporation
> Total contributions: $2,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $12.9 billion
Tyson Foods
> Total contributions: $2,500
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $43.2 billion
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AT&T
> Total contributions: $5,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $171.8 billion
Best Buy
> Total contributions: $5,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $47.3 billion
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Deere & Company
> Total contributions: $5,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $35.5 billion
Gap
> Total contributions: $5,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $13.8 billion
The Wendy’s Company
> Total contributions: $5,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $1.7 billion
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1-800 Contacts
> Total contributions: $10,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: N/A
H&R Block
> Total contributions: $10,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 3
> 2020 revenue: $3.4 billion
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Alphabet (Google)
> Total contributions: $15,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $182.5 billion
Home Depot
> Total contributions: $15,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $110.2 billion
Humana
> Total contributions: $15,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $67.1 billion
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Liberty Mutual Insurance
> Total contributions: $15,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $43.8 billion
United Airlines
> Total contributions: $15,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $15.4 billion
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American Airlines
> Total contributions: $17,500
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $17.3 billion
24/7 Wall St.
Navient Corporation
> Total contributions: $20,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $304.0 billion
Bloomin’ Brands
> Total contributions: $20,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 4
> 2020 revenue: $3.2 billion
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Aflac
> Total contributions: $28,500
> Recipient members and party committees: 5
> 2020 revenue: $22.1 billion
Comcast
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $103.6 billion
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CVS Health
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $268.7 billion
General Electric
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $79.6 billion
Johnson & Johnson
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $82.6 billion
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PG&E
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $18.5 billion
Pfizer
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $41.9 billion
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Rocket Mortgage
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $15.7 billion
T-Mobile / Sprint
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $68.4 billion
Verizon Communications
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $128.3 billion
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Delta
> Total contributions: $35,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 4
> 2020 revenue: $17.1 billion
iHeartMedia
> Total contributions: $35,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 3
> 2020 revenue: $2.9 billion
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Chevron
> Total contributions: $37,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 8
> 2020 revenue: $94.5 billion
Reynolds American
> Total contributions: $40,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 16
> 2020 revenue: $12.5 billion
United Parcel Service (UPS)
> Total contributions: $52,500
> Recipient members and party committees: 7
> 2020 revenue: $84.6 billion
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PNC
> Total contributions: $55,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $16.9 billion
Anheuser-busch Companies
> Total contributions: $56,500
> Recipient members and party committees: 14
> 2020 revenue: $138.0 billion
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Walmart
> Total contributions: $60,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $559.2 billion
Cigna
> Total contributions: $60,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 17
> 2020 revenue: $160.4 billion
General Motors
> Total contributions: $72,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 12
> 2020 revenue: $122.5 billion
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Toyota
> Total contributions: $78,500
> Recipient members and party committees: 47
> 2020 revenue: $245.0 billion
Lockheed Martin
> Total contributions: $150,500
> Recipient members and party committees: 57
> 2020 revenue: $65.4 billion
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Koch Industries
> Total contributions: $163,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 16
> 2020 revenue: $115.0 billion
Boeing
> Total contributions: $274,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 29
> 2020 revenue: $58.2 billion
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