Special Report

Companies Bankrolling Congress Members Who Didn't Certify the Election

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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.

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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

Steve Bott from Los Angeles, USA / Wikimedia Commons

Fox Corporation
> Total contributions: $2,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $12.9 billion

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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

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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

Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine / Wikimedia Commons

Gap
> Total contributions: $5,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $13.8 billion

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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

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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

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Home Depot
> Total contributions: $15,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $110.2 billion

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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

IanC66 / Shutterstock.com

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

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Navient Corporation
> Total contributions: $20,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $304.0 billion

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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

SweetBabeeJay / iStock

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

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General Electric
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $79.6 billion

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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

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Pfizer
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $41.9 billion

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Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Rocket Mortgage
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $15.7 billion

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T-Mobile / Sprint
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $68.4 billion

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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

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iHeartMedia
> Total contributions: $35,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 3
> 2020 revenue: $2.9 billion

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LordRunar / Getty Images

Chevron
> Total contributions: $37,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 8
> 2020 revenue: $94.5 billion

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Reynolds American
> Total contributions: $40,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 16
> 2020 revenue: $12.5 billion

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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

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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

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Cigna
> Total contributions: $60,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 17
> 2020 revenue: $160.4 billion

Courtesy of GMC

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

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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

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Boeing
> Total contributions: $274,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 29
> 2020 revenue: $58.2 billion

 

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