Popular Information - Toyota's second U-turn
Welcome back to Popular Information, a newsletter dedicated to accountability journalism. Shortly after January 6, 2021, Toyota announced that it would reassess "our future PAC criteria" in light of "the horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol." That review did not last long. Within weeks, Toyota resumed donating to Republican members of Congress that voted to overturn the election. Among the recipients of Toyota's cash was Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ), who tweeted on January 6 that he would "lead the charge" and "fight" to overturn the election results. He also promised to "produce documents" during the debate with evidence of "fraud." (No such documents exist.) By April 1, 2021, Toyota had donated $62,000 to 39 Republican objectors. Popular Information reported that, at the time, Toyota was the top corporate PAC donor to members of Congress who tried to reverse the election results. In an email to customers that month, the company said that it had undertaken a "thorough review" and "decided against giving to some members who, through their statements and actions, undermine the legitimacy of our elections and institutions." But if a Congressman like Biggs met Toyota's criteria, it is unclear what conduct would be considered disqualifying. In the email, Toyota also said it does "not believe it is appropriate to judge members of Congress solely based on their votes on election certification." This language was taken word-for-word from a memo issued by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in March. But on July 8, facing intense public scrutiny and a possible television ad attacking its conduct, Toyota reversed course. In a press release, Toyota announced it would stop donating to Republican objectors:
The press release had the desired effect. Major publications, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, and many others reported that Toyota would no longer donate to the 147 Republicans who objected to the certification of the Electoral College. Toyota, however, seems to have been just buying time. Last month, the company resumed donations to Republican objectors. There was no press release. And none of the publications that covered Toyota's July 2021 press release have reported that Toyota has reversed course. Among the recipients of Toyota's cash last month was Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN). Walorski not only voted to overturn the election results on January 6, 2021, but she also signed a December 2021 amicus brief supporting a case in the Supreme Court to throw out millions of votes. Since January 6, 2021, Walorski voted against impeaching Trump for his conduct on January 6, voted against the creation of a bipartisan January 6 committee, and voted against holding Steven Bannon in contempt for ignoring a subpoena from the January 6 committee. Another Republican objector who received cash from Toyota last month was Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN). On January 6, 2021, Kustoff stated that "[n]umerous sworn affidavits with election irregularities remain unsolved, including reports of voter fraud, violation of election laws, and the casting of illegal ballots." This was false. Affidavits alleging voter fraud were submitted to numerous courts and were consistently rejected as unsubstantiated or irrelevant. Since January 6, 2021, Kustoff has had the same voting record on these issues as Walorski. Two other Republican objectors — Congressmen Trent Kelly (R-MS) and Garret Graves (R-LA) — also received money from Toyota's PAC in March 2022. In a statement to Popular Information, Toyota acknowledged that it has resumed donating to Republican objectors “[a]fter a pause of six months, during which time Toyota had extensive discussions with internal and external stakeholders.” Toyota said it “will not support those who, by their words and actions, create an atmosphere that incites violence.” Other notable developmentsApril campaign finance filings revealed several other companies who have abandoned the positions they took after January 6:
You can find the status of every corporation's pledge — including dozens that have maintained their commitments — in Popular Information's January 6 Corporate Accountability Index. Today's newsletter underscores the importance of Popular Information's comprehensive effort to hold corporations accountable for the promises they made after the violent attack on the Capitol. Every month for more than a year, we’ve synthesized tens of thousands of FEC records and hundreds of corporate statements. We will not get bored. We will not get distracted. We will not stop following the money. But Popular Information is a three-person newsletter, and this is a massive undertaking. You can help Popular Information expand its capacity to do this work with a paid subscription. To maintain our independence, Popular Information does not accept advertisements. But we also don't have a paywall. Subscriptions are our only source of revenue. So if you can afford the subscription price of $6/month or $50/year, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today. |
Key phrases
Older messages
UPDATES: Koch exits, DeSantis responds
Friday, April 22, 2022
For the last five weeks, Popular Information has reported extensively on Koch Industries, the corporation owned by right-wing billionaire Charles Koch, and its decision to continue business in Russia.
Inside the "dangerous" math textbooks DeSantis claims would "indoctrinate students"
Thursday, April 21, 2022
On April 15, the Florida Department of Education issued a dramatic press release: "Florida Rejects Publishers' Attempts to Indoctrinate Students." In the release, Florida Commissioner of
Passing the mic [CORRECTED]
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
Apologies for the multiple emails this morning. Due to a technical error, the previous version did not have a link to the discussion thread. — J…
Passing the mic
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
So far this month, Popular Information exposed the inner workings of Charles Koch's non-profit network (prompting an avalanche of attacks from Koch-funded entities), revealed that the consulting
Inflation profiteering
Tuesday, April 19, 2022
There is no single cause for inflation, which reached an annual rate of 8.5% in March. That's the fastest increase in prices since 1981. There are continuing problems with supply chains, rising
You Might Also Like
Full-crime job
Friday, April 26, 2024
Lawyers for Trump argued before SCOTUS that the president has "total immunity" ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
All of My Friends Have These Sweatpant Jeans
Friday, April 26, 2024
Here's What You Missed on the Strategist The Strategist Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission. All of
🌈 Live a bold & bright life
Friday, April 26, 2024
Introducing our theme for May plus fun stuff to read, watch, and click on curated by CreativeMornings HQ. April 25, 2024 Open in new tab Did a friend forward this? Subscribe today! Speech bubble logo
🕐 Time Is Running Out: Your $99 Offer Expires In 48 Hours
Thursday, April 25, 2024
This advisory has returned a massive 838% since inception compared to the 273% return from the S&P 500 Final 48 Hours Fellow Investor, We recently sent you an exclusive offer to try our flagship
The Professor Protesting Columbia’s Own Students
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Columns and commentary on news, politics, business, and technology from the Intelligencer team. Intelligencer THURSDAY, APRIL 25 The Professor Protesting Columbia's Own Students Shai Davidai, a
Before you lose your phone ...
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Do these things now ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Friday Briefing: Supreme Court hears Trump immunity case
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Also, more bodies found in a Gazan mass grave. View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story Ad Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition April 26, 2024 Author Headshot By Amelia Nierenberg
Microsoft results beat quarterly expectations as profits rise 20% to nearly $22B
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Breaking News from GeekWire GeekWire.com | View in browser BREAKING NEWS Microsoft posted a 17% increase in revenue, to $61.9 billion, with $21.9 billion in profits, up 20%, and earnings of $2.94 per
The Dark Side of Immune
Thursday, April 25, 2024
SCOTUS and Why It's Good to be the King ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Techie-turned-lawmaker uses Microsoft chops as state senator | ‘Acquired’ podcast hosts raising fund
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Amazon to stream Seattle Kraken games | Impinj stock soars | 'Good to Go!' scam warning ADVERTISEMENT GeekWire SPONSOR MESSAGE: Science Firsthand: Learn how Bristol Myers Squibb unlocked the