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.
Source: troyek / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
Bacardi USA
> Total contributions: $1,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: N/A
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Source: Carlos Yudica / Shutterstock.com
JetBlue Airways
> Total contributions: $1,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $3.0 billion
24/7 Wall St.These 44 Republicans Have Made a Career Out of Serving in the House of Representatives
Source: 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
Source: RiverNorthPhotography / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
Tyson Foods
> Total contributions: $2,500
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $43.2 billion
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Source: RiverNorthPhotography / Getty Images
AT&T
> Total contributions: $5,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $171.8 billion
Source: Nicholas Eckhart / Wikimedia Commons
Best Buy
> Total contributions: $5,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $47.3 billion
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Source: sshaw75 / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
Deere & Company
> Total contributions: $5,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $35.5 billion
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Source: Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine / Wikimedia Commons
Gap
> Total contributions: $5,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $13.8 billion
Source: jetcityimage / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
The Wendy’s Company
> Total contributions: $5,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $1.7 billion
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Source: 1-800 Contacts / Wikimedia Commons
1-800 Contacts
> Total contributions: $10,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: N/A
Source: Margarita-Young / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
H&R Block
> Total contributions: $10,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 3
> 2020 revenue: $3.4 billion
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Source: JHVEPhoto / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Alphabet (Google)
> Total contributions: $15,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $182.5 billion
Source: Lokibaho / Getty Images
Home Depot
> Total contributions: $15,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $110.2 billion
Source: wellesenterprises / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
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
Source: IanC66 / Shutterstock.com
United Airlines
> Total contributions: $15,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $15.4 billion
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Source: Kiefer / Wikimedia Commons
American Airlines
> Total contributions: $17,500
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $17.3 billion
Source: jetcityimage / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Navient Corporation
> Total contributions: $20,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $304.0 billion
Source: JHVEPhoto / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Bloomin’ Brands
> Total contributions: $20,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 4
> 2020 revenue: $3.2 billion
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Source: Courtesy of Aflac Duck
Aflac
> Total contributions: $28,500
> Recipient members and party committees: 5
> 2020 revenue: $22.1 billion
Source: SweetBabeeJay / iStock
Comcast
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $103.6 billion
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Source: Serenethos / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
CVS Health
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $268.7 billion
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Source: jetcityimage / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
General Electric
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $79.6 billion
Source: Chris Hondros / Getty Images
Johnson & Johnson
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $82.6 billion
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Source: Sundry Photography / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
PG&E
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $18.5 billion
Source: Mario Tama / Getty Images
Pfizer
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $41.9 billion
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Source: 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
24/7 Wall St.These 44 Republicans Have Made a Career Out of Serving in the House of Representatives
Source: jeepersmedia / Flickr
T-Mobile / Sprint
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $68.4 billion
Source: photobyphm / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Verizon Communications
> Total contributions: $30,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $128.3 billion
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Source: Boarding1Now / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Delta
> Total contributions: $35,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 4
> 2020 revenue: $17.1 billion
Source: Sundry Photography / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
iHeartMedia
> Total contributions: $35,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 3
> 2020 revenue: $2.9 billion
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Source: LordRunar / Getty Images
Chevron
> Total contributions: $37,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 8
> 2020 revenue: $94.5 billion
Source: http://www.reynoldsamerican.com/Home/default.aspx
Reynolds American
> Total contributions: $40,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 16
> 2020 revenue: $12.5 billion
Source: 100pk / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
United Parcel Service (UPS)
> Total contributions: $52,500
> Recipient members and party committees: 7
> 2020 revenue: $84.6 billion
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Source: Althom / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
PNC
> Total contributions: $55,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 1
> 2020 revenue: $16.9 billion
Source: jetcityimage / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Anheuser-busch Companies
> Total contributions: $56,500
> Recipient members and party committees: 14
> 2020 revenue: $138.0 billion
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Source: slobo / Getty Images
Walmart
> Total contributions: $60,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 2
> 2020 revenue: $559.2 billion
Source: Scott Eisen / Getty Images for Patrick Dempsey Center
Cigna
> Total contributions: $60,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 17
> 2020 revenue: $160.4 billion
Source: Courtesy of GMC
General Motors
> Total contributions: $72,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 12
> 2020 revenue: $122.5 billion
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Source: Tim Boyle / Getty Images
Toyota
> Total contributions: $78,500
> Recipient members and party committees: 47
> 2020 revenue: $245.0 billion
Source: Kevin Moloney / Getty Images
Lockheed Martin
> Total contributions: $150,500
> Recipient members and party committees: 57
> 2020 revenue: $65.4 billion
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Source: JHVEPhoto / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Koch Industries
> Total contributions: $163,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 16
> 2020 revenue: $115.0 billion
24/7 Wall St.These 44 Republicans Have Made a Career Out of Serving in the House of Representatives
Source: nycshooter / Getty Images
Boeing
> Total contributions: $274,000
> Recipient members and party committees: 29
> 2020 revenue: $58.2 billion
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