GOP lawmakers faced growing backlash on Monday from companies that said they would cut off campaign contributions to those who voted last week to challenge electoral votes from contested states.

The announcements by Amazon.com Inc, General Electric Co, Dow Inc, AT&T Inc, Comcast Corp, Verizon Communications Inc, American Express Co, Airbnb Inc, Cisco Systems Inc, Best Buy Co Inc and Mastercard Inc, among others, threaten to throttle fundraising resources for Republicans.

AT&T and Comcast, for example, are among the biggest corporate donors in Washington.

Greeting-card giant Hallmark Company Ltd said it had asked senators Josh Hawley and Roger Marshall to return its contributions.

It is unclear whether their decisions will have a lasting impact. Fundraising activity is currently at a post-election lull in Washington, giving businesses and trade groups some time to figure out their approach.

Few companies have gone as far as Dow Inc, which said it would withhold donations for the Republican lawmakers’ entire terms in office – up to six years for those in the Senate. Others said they would withhold donations temporarily, or suspend giving to Republicans and Democrats alike.

GE’s suspension will last through the end of 2022 and then the employee board that oversees its political action committee will consider requests for support for those lawmakers who opposed certification “on a case-by-case basis.”

Amazon said it would discuss concerns “directly with those members we have previously supported” before deciding whether to resume contributions.

A growing list of companies, including:

Copper giant Freeport-McMoRan Inc, Ford Motor Co, Microsoft Corp, American Airlines, Alphabet Inc’s Google, Facebook Inc, Goldman Sachs, BP Plc, Smithfield Foods Inc and Union Pacific Corp said they would temporarily suspend donations to Democrats and Republicans alike.

Late Monday, Northrop Grumman became the first major defense contractor to temporarily halt all donations.

“We are pausing political action committee giving and evaluating the way forward,” a spokesman said.

Trade associations, which are among the biggest donors in Washington, are moving more slowly.

The National Association of Beer Wholesalers, the National Association of Auto Dealers, and the American Bankers Association said they would re-assess their contribution strategy. Other top donors, including the National Association of Homebuilders and the National Association of Realtors, said “they have yet to make a decision”, according to Reuters.

What companies will follow suit? Stay tuned to 100% FED UP for live updates and breaking news.

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.


We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.