Popular Information - Corporate lobbyists bite back
Throughout 2021, Popular Information not only broke news; it created change. The reporting in this newsletter prompted an unprecedented corporate backlash against the members of Congress who voted to overturn the election, dramatically increased access to paid sick leave for 170,000 restaurant workers, and spurred several major corporations to speak out against voter suppression. You can support this work by becoming a paid subscriber. It's just $6 per month or $50 for an entire year. You can read more about our impact over the last year HERE. One year ago today a mob staged a violent riot at the U.S. Capitol, inspired by the lie that Joe Biden stole the 2020 presidential election. 147 Republicans played a key role in the day's events, voting against the certification of the Electoral College results. That vote promoted dozen of corporations to take the unprecedented step of freezing PAC donations to Republican objectors. Since then, some companies have abandoned their commitments. But many other corporations have stuck to their word. As Popular Information documented, corporate PAC contributions to Republican objectors are down by about 60% compared to the last election cycle. As a matter of principle, this makes sense. Nothing has changed since January 6, 2021, that would justify corporations changing their policies. Of the 147 Republican objectors, only one, Representative Tom Rice (R-SC), has publicly expressed any regret for their vote. With a few exceptions, Republican objectors are still unwilling to acknowledge that Biden won the presidency legitimately. There is one group of people who are displeased about the current state of affairs: corporate lobbyists. The job of a corporate lobbyist at the federal level is to influence members of Congress. Although there are many ways to gain influence, one important tool is to direct corporate PAC donations to members of Congress as a way of purchasing goodwill and access. In February, shortly after the freezes went into effect, the Wall Street Journal reported that aides to Republican objectors were "considering punishing the companies that halted PAC donations by banning their lobbyists from coming to their offices to advocate on legislation." Now, a year later, corporate lobbyists on both sides of the aisle are talking to the media, arguing that companies would be foolish not to donate to Republicans who voted to overturn the election. Lobbyist Cristina Antelo is telling her clients that Americans have already forgotten about what happened on January 6 and should resume donations to Republican objectors:
Antelo's lobbying firm, Ferox Strategies, represents Reynolds (parent company of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco), Intuit, Disney, The Gap, and other major corporations. One of Ferox's clients, Eli Lilly, is among four that cut off donations to Republican objectors in January but directly broke the pledge. Another Ferox client, Walmart, has not directly donated to Republican objectors but contributed to the NRCC and the NRSC, the multi-candidate PACs that support all Republicans in the House and Senate. Microsoft is also a Ferox client but has pledged to maintain its freeze on Republican objectors through the 2022 cycle. The Hill anonymously quoted "a lobbyist at a Fortune 500 company that is currently pausing PAC donations to GOP objectors" who warned that corporate strategy needs "to align with the current political reality that Republicans are almost certainly taking the House in November." In the same article, two Republican lobbyists also stressed the importance of backing Republican objectors. Stewart Verdery, a Republican lobbyist who runs the firm Monument Advocacy, is advising his clients that it is "not really a sustainable position to say you won’t give to two-thirds of the Republican House caucus, including the leadership and the likely next speaker." But while the status quo is clearly not sustainable for corporate lobbyists who are used to doing business in a certain way, it is doubtful that corporations themselves would benefit from resuming donations to Republican objectors. Supporting members of Congress who tried to overturn an election could cause significant damage to corporate brands. And while restarting donations would make their lobbyists happy, there is scant evidence that these donations meaningfully benefit corporations. Do corporations actually benefit from political spending?Corporations justify political spending, even when it contradicts their stated values, as necessary to enhance their bottom line. But in the latest issue of Harvard Business Review, Dorothy Lund and Leo Strine argue that "political donations greatly heighten corporate risk" and "destroy value by suppressing innovation and distracting managers from more-pressing tasks." Lund and Strine contend that corporations should "reduce their involvement in time-wasting and costly political spending, and better align their lobbying and donations with their stated values." Lund and Strine note that after the Supreme Court greatly expanded the ability of corporations to spend money in politics in Citizens United, "[c]orporate leaders have not chosen to seek [shareholder] approval for political donations… despite the fact that shareholders are paying for them with their entrusted capital." Meanwhile, corporate managers in charge of political spending decisions "are more likely to identify as Republican than are members of the general public." And corporate political spending skews strongly toward Republican candidates and committees. But isn't political spending making corporations more profitable? Research suggests the opposite is true. Lund and Strine cite "a study of corporate political activity in the form of lobbying and PAC spending by S&P 500 companies from 1998 to 2004 (conducted by John Coates, a Harvard professor who recently served as general counsel of the SEC)." That study found that corporate political spending "was strongly and negatively related to company value." Lund and Strine postulate that "when companies feel they have to compete on regulatory shortcuts rather than on productivity and innovation, they may be poorly positioned to produce sustainable profits by selling quality goods and services and evolving to meet new consumer demands." The authors argue there is "no sound business justification for corporate political giving as it is practiced today." It's worth considering as corporations decide whether to maintain the commitments they made after January 6 or go back to business as usual. |
Older messages
The war on library books
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
In the coming months, you will hear a lot from right-wing politicians about the need to "empower parents" to have more influence over their children's education. As a general concept,
Seven major corporations pledge not to support GOP objectors in 2022
Tuesday, January 4, 2022
Following the riot at the US Capitol on January 6, dozens of corporations pledged to stop donating to 147 Republican members of Congress who voted that day to overturn the results of the 2020
The truth about corporate contributions to Republican objectors since January 6
Monday, January 3, 2022
According to media reports, most corporations have already forgotten about January 6, 2021, and resumed supporting Republicans who voted to overturn the election. That is not true.
The year in Popular Information
Thursday, December 30, 2021
'Corporations' Political Reckoning Began With a Newsletter.' Following the January 6 riot, Popular Information contacted 144 corporations and asked if they would continue to support members
Why more than half of Taco Bell workers are unvaccinated
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
In June, Taco Bell locations in California offered "a free seasoned beef Nacho Cheese Doritos® Locos Tacos" to anyone who provided proof of vaccination. The company said it was offering the
You Might Also Like
Weekend Briefing No. 563
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Beyond the Bots -- The Lonely Technology Trap -- Africa's Healthcare Paradox ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Gladiators, vanity and self-restraint
Saturday, November 23, 2024
+ what's causing West Coast's drenching weather
Isabelle Huppert’s Uniqlo Socks and Paige DeSorbo’s White T-shirt
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Plus: Inside New York department stores of yore. The Strategist Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.
The best carry-on backpacks
Saturday, November 23, 2024
A few of our favorites are on sale View in browser Ad The Recommendation Ad Consider a carry-on travel backpack Three carry-on backpacks pictured together. Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter Opening a good
☕ Ragebait
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Bluesky might be having its Justin Bieber moment... November 23, 2024 View Online | Sign Up | Shop Morning Brew Presented By The Points Guy Good morning. Christkindlmarket season is upon us. Here's
The Russian Missile, America's Deadliest Animals, and a Math Emergency
Saturday, November 23, 2024
NATO and Ukrainian officials will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia escalated hostilities with a hypersonic missile strike on a military facility in Dnipro last Thursday. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Your new crossword for Saturday Nov 23 ✏️
Saturday, November 23, 2024
View this email in your browser Take a mental break with this week's crosswords: We have six new puzzles teed up for you this week. Play the latest Vox crossword right here, and find all of our new
YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: Freeing Captive Audiences
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Employers have to free their captives, the Feds curb a health care giant's shopping spree, Google's big breakup levels up, scam call crackdowns are showing results, and Facebook's anti-
What A Day: MTGeeze Louise
Saturday, November 23, 2024
DOGE just got dumber. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Someone Needs to Tell the Manhattan DA’s Office the Trump Case Is Over
Friday, November 22, 2024
Columns and commentary on news, politics, business, and technology from the Intelligencer team. Intelligencer the law Somebody Needs to Tell the Manhattan DA's Office It's Over The Trump hush-