Popular Information - Where things stand
A week ago, Popular Information began contacting 144 companies and asked if they would continue supporting the Republican members of Congress who objected to the certification of the Electoral College. By the time we published our first report, on Sunday morning, three companies — Marriott, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Commerce Bank — responded that they would suspend donations to the 147 members that tried to subvert the democratic process. This quickly became national news. Today, at least two dozen major corporations have suspended their donations to the Republican objectors, a group that includes two-thirds of the Republicans in Congress. The list of companies cutting off their financial support now includes Walmart, Amazon, Disney, Verizon, GE, Airbnb, Comcast, Morgan Stanley, Nike, American Express, and Dell. This is something that has never happened before. And the significance is reflected in the coverage. While some corporations are taking bold stands, others are attempting to navigate the new reality without "taking sides." Dozens of companies — including Bank of America, Target, Google, Facebook, JP Morgan, and Visa — have suspended all political giving while they "review" their policies. These companies are saying very little. There is always very little corporate PAC activity at the beginning of a campaign cycle. Announcing a temporary pause in political giving that is not targeted to the members of Congress who attempted to subvert the democratic process doesn't amount to much at all. Some of these companies may be trying to buy time until the controversy fades and hope to quietly resume business as usual. Atlantic 57 CEO Kate Watts, who consults with Fortune 100 companies on brand strategy, told Popular Information that this tactic will backfire.
Popular Information will be closely monitoring corporate PAC activity over the coming months and years. This will reveal which companies were serious about reforming their practices and which were just posturing. You can support this work — and help us do more of it — by becoming a paid subscriber. If the cost of this newsletter ($6/month or $50/year) would create any kind of financial strain, I hope you stay on this free list. We've eliminated the paywall for the duration of the pandemic. But, if you can afford it, please consider a paid subscription. More corporations suspend donations to the Republican Attorneys General AssociationOn Wednesday, Popular Information reported the activities of the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) and how they were implicated in Wednesday's violent riot. Specifically, RAGA's self-described "policy arm," the Rule of Law Defense Fund (RLDF), sent a robocall driving people to participate in the "March to Save America." The robocall urged "patriots" to congregate at the White House and then "march to Congress" to "stop the steal." In response to inquiries from this newsletter, three companies that had donated tens of thousands of dollars to RAGA last year — Facebook, Lyft, and Doordash — announced that they would suspend their contributions. University of Phoenix, which donated over $50,000, told Popular Information it was demanding an immediate refund. The story was picked up by Bloomberg and Fox Business. After the story was published, Popular Information learned that five more major corporate donors — Instacart, Yelp, Smithfield Foods, The Edison Electric Institute, and the Recording Industry Association of America had also decided to freeze their contributions to RAGA. PROGRAMMING NOTE: Popular Information publishes Monday through Thursday, but will be off Monday for MLK Day. We’ll return to your inbox on Tuesday, January 19. |
Older messages
The dam breaks
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Last week, Popular Information contacted 144 corporations and asked if they would continue to support the Republican members of Congress who objected to the certification of the Electoral College vote.
UPDATE: More corporations suspend donations to Republicans who objected to Electoral College vote
Monday, January 11, 2021
On Sunday, Popular Information broke the news that three major corporations — Marriott, BlueCross BlueShield, and Commerce Bank — were suspending PAC donations to the 147 Republicans who objected to
Three major corporations say they will stop donating to members of Congress who tried to overturn the election
Sunday, January 10, 2021
On January 6, a violent mob stormed the Capitol of the United States, disrupting the joint session to confirm Joe Biden's victory. The incident left five people dead, including a member of the
The chickens come home to roost
Thursday, January 7, 2021
For the first time since 1812, the United States Capitol was breached. A mob of violent Trump supporters pushed past a police barricade, smashed windows, vandalized Congressional offices, and posed for
20 corporations, $16 million, and 138 Republicans trying to subvert democracy
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
On Wednesday, dozens of Congressional Republicans will object to the certification of the Electoral College vote that made Joe Biden the next President of the United States. Their goal is to set aside
You Might Also Like
Welcome to The Flyover
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Thanks for joining The Flyover! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Welcome to The Flyover
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Thanks for joining The Flyover! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Most Trustworthy Crypto Exchanges | Irrational Bitcoin 13F Exuberance
Saturday, May 18, 2024
The asset manager's new short-term credit fund is hosted on the Ethereum blockchain. ADVERTISEMENT Forbes START INVESTING • Newsletters • MyForbes Mitchell Martin Senior Editor, Forbes Money &
Expedia Group dismisses CTO and SVP, citing ‘violation of company policy’
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Microsoft's gaming gamble | The rise of 'Technocapitalism' ADVERTISEMENT GeekWire SPONSOR MESSAGE: Register now for AWS re:Inforce: Hear from AWS experts on all things cloud security in the
Scottie Scheffler, Pelosi Attacker, and a Pigeon Parachute
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Facts, without motives.
How to Profit Like a Real Estate Tycoon, Without the Hassle of Being a Landlord
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Save 50% On Forbes Real Estate Investor View in browser LIMITED-TIME OFFER—SAVE 50% Have you ever dreamed of profiting from real estate like a tycoon but without the headaches of property management?
Weekend Briefing No. 536
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Meaning > Purpose at Work -- The Land That Doesn't Need Ozempic -- The Forgotten War on Beepers ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
The best mascara
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Va va voom ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Originalism Means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Columns and commentary on news, politics, business, and technology from the Intelligencer team. Intelligencer Weekend Reader Required Reading for Political Compulsives 1. Running From Inside Is it
YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: The Consumer Watchdog Catches A Break
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Plus, sick leave is sticking around, Medicaid tackles climate change, criminal justice reform is helping communities, and another state aims to make Big Oil pay. YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: The Consumer