Republican members of Congress who opposed certifying 2020 presidential election results were paid more than $22.2million by corporate PACs between January 7, 2021 and June 30, 20,22. This is a new figure. OpenSecretsAnalysis found.
The Senate and House members with 147 electoral objections voted against the certification of the President Joe Biden’s victory in Arizona or Pennsylvania amid a violent attack The Capitol that injures police officersThis forced lawmakers to evacuate Left at least seven people dead.
Three members of what critics dubbed the “Sedition Caucus” Since then, 122 have resigned from Congress and 122 are running to be in the 2022 election. According to filings with the FEC, six Republican incumbents lost their primaries — three in the House and and three in the Senate.
Numerous private companies were affected by the Jan. 6, attack. declared They would stop, pause, or reevaluate PAC giving election objectors. But several corporations resumed These lawmakers will receive PAC within one month of the attack.
Koch Industries’ PAC was the largest corporate PAC contributor to members of Congress who voted against election certification, with more than $607,000 disbursed to campaigns or leadership PACs. Home Depot, Boeing Co. United Parcel Service Closely follow corporate PAC contributions exceeding $500,000 each.
More election objectors — 52 — received funds from Koch Industries’ PAC than any other corporate PAC. Home Depot PAC, which donated $593,000 to 44 of its members, is close behind. Boeing Co. is next with $520,000 to 27 members.
Sara Gorman, Home Depot’s senior director of corporate communications, told OpenSecrets that the company’s PAC supports candidates on both sides of the aisle who champion pro-business, pro-retail positions that create jobs and economic growth. “It’s pretty evenly split,” Gorman said, adding that the PAC is also one of the largest donors to members of the New Democrat Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus.
Boeing President and Chief Executive Officer David Calhoun Issued a statement promoting bipartisanship and the peaceful transition to government immediately after the Jan. 6, attack.
Boeing’s spokesperson for media relations declined to comment further. Koch Industries and United Parcel Service did not respond to OpenSecrets’ request for comment.
Senators in the “Sedition Caucus”
While dozens of Senators announced their intention to vote against certification, just eight Senators — all Republicans — followed through after the violent attack on the Capitol. However, many House members who opposed certification are running for Senate seats. Additionally, the few senators who opposed certification of 2020 election results are some of the most prominent recipients of corporate PAC funding.
Sen. John Kennedy, Louisiana’s incumbent senator since 2016, received more corporate PAC money since the Jan. 6 attack than any other election objector. The Cook Political Report Rates his seat solidly Republican.
His campaign raised more than $334,000 in corporate PACs and his leadership PAC received approximately $70,000 more. Koch Industries corporate PACs Capital One He was the recipient of $20,000 in each case. Home Depot’s and Charter Communications’ corporate PACs contributed $15,000, while Valero Energy’s PAC gave $12,500.
Kennedy voted Against the conviction of former President Donald Trump during the Senate’s impeachment trial and questioned 2020 election results, reportedly sending an email in December 2020 that claimed there was an excessiveness of “tomfoolery” and “a few too many shenanigans.”
Kennedy released a statement in January 2021. joint statement claiming that the presidential election was “rife with allegations of fraud and irregularities that exceed any in our lifetimes.”
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wis.), who received $167,000 the second most corporate PAC contributions after the rioters stormed Capitol. She called Trump’s second impeachment inquiry “political theater” and later wrote a letter challenging the legitimacy of Biden’s 2020 victory.
Lummis, despite her doubts about the election results condemned the Jan. 6 incident. public statement.
“I have serious concerns about election integrity,” her statement read. “But today’s sickening, un-American attack on the Capitol overshadowed that debate.”
PricewaterhouseCoopers’ PAC contributed $14,000 in total to Lummis’ campaign and leadership PAC, making it her top PAC contributor. Lummis also received contributions from corporate PACs that are affiliated with Koch Industries. Rock Holdings, Pinnacle West Capital, Burns & McDonnell UBS AG.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), received $133,500 through the corporate PACs Southern Co, United Parcel Service, Maynard, Cooper & Gale, Drummond Co. ?. Torch Technologies. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who called Trump’s impeachment trial “a complete waste of time,” received the same amount from several other corporate PACs including Koch Industries, Home Depot, Apollo Global Management NextEra EnergyAmong other things.
Tuberville took place on Nov. 5, 2019, while the presidential election results were still being counted. tweeted that the election results were “out of control.” Before he was even sworn in as senator, Tuberville objected To the congressional certification of presidential election.
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) Nearly $120,000 was received from the corporate PACs of companies such as Southern Co. General AtomicsAmong other things.
Hyde Smith used the Electoral College results as a justification for her opposition. claimed she heard from many Mississippians “troubled” by conduct during the election and its results. Following Trump’s acquittal, she released another statement Announced her support for the vote to acquit former president.
“His speech on Jan. 6 neither implicitly nor explicitly encouraged the use of violence or lawless action,” the statement read.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R.Kan.), who opposed The impeachment and resignation of Donald Trump claimed Between the Jan. 6 attack on January 6, 2022 and June 30, 2022, voting irregularities were a problem in the 2020 presidential election. Marshall received $108,000 in contributions from corporate political action committees. Marshall’s donors include corporate PACs affiliated with companies such as Koch Industries, Home Depot, Pfizer Inc. ?. United Health Group.
Pfizer swore off Spend at least six months after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack to donate to any of the 147 electoral objectors. OpenSecrets data suggests that the company donated $2,500 to the opposition. Lone Star Leadership PACRep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), Week following the Jan. 6, attack. Keep America Rolling PACRep. Mike Kelly (Republican of Pennsylvania) received $2,500 more from Pfizer in February 2021.
Two senators voted against certification of Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), swore off corporate PAC contributions after corporations’ exodus from political giving to election objectors.
Cruz reported $31,500 worth of corporate PAC contributions to Cruz since the Jan. 6, attack. The majority of that went to his leadership PACs, despite his pledge. His funders include corporate PACs from companies like Boeing Co. Community Bancshares of Mississippi, Brownstein Hyatt et al, Apache Corp TC Energy. Since losing Cruz was a candidate for Trump’s 2016 presidential primaries. one of The former president’s most loyal allies, casting doubt on the 2020 election results and spreading unproven claims about election fraud.
Hawley was awarded $5,000 each from Community Bancshares of Mississippi Marathon Petroleum’s PACs. But OpenSecrets’ data show that the money was returned between the Jan. 6 attack and June 30, 2022.
According to reporting By the Washington Post, a Marathon Petroleum spokesperson said that the company condemned the “appalling” and “unequivocal” violence of Jan. 6. It led to the suspension of political donations to election objectors. However, a resumption date wasn’t specified.
Corporate PAC Money in The House
Corporate PACs contributed more than $19.7million to 139 U.S. House representatives who voted against certification for the 2020 presidential election.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), was the largest benefactor of corporate money among House election objectors during this period.
McCarthy has echoed Trump’s false claims questioning 2020 election results and opposed The formation of the bipartisan commission to investigate Jan. 6’s attack. Nevertheless, McCarthy’s campaign leadership PAC received a total of $921,400 from the corporate PACs of 14 companies including Wells Fargo, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Comcast.
Reps. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) Mike Rogers (R-Ala.). Steve Scalise (R-La.) (R-La.) Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.) (R-Mo.) Each one amassed more that $519,000 from corporate PAC donor since the Jan. 6, attack. Luetkemeyer passed the $600,000. Scalise was awarded more than $700,000.
Accountable U.S. — a nonpartisan watchdog group — zeroed in corporate PAC contributions from Fortune 500 Companies and trade groups that made public statements about the Jan. 6 attack. At least 77 These companies or trade associations were affiliated with PACs that gave to one or several election objectors.
The American Bankers Association PAC contributed more than $501,000 to 107 election objectionors. An association spokesperson Submitted Insider that the Jan. 6 attack was “an assault on our democracy” and promised to review its political activities, adding the “troubling events” would be a point of consideration.
Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) More than any other election objector, with $10,500 between Jan. 6 and June 30. Guest was one of 126 signers for the amicus Texas Attorney General has filed a brief Ken Paxton (R) in a suit that sought to impede Electoral College voting. Guest also sponsored a bill That challenged the integrity mail-in voting in December 2020.
Guest received $74,500 more in PAC contributions through corporate PACs affiliated to companies such as Southern Co. Raytheon Technologies, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Nucor Corp Mississippi ACREAccording to OpenSecrets data, it is. Guest, who was running for reelection in 2022 and seeking to keep his House seat with the Republicans, won the GOP primary race in which he was second in line. over 67% vote.
Reps are election objectors who received PAC payments but are no more in office. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), Devin Nunes (R.Calif.) Jim Hagedorn (R-Minn.). They collectively received $525,000 from the corporate PACs of companies including Home Depot, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Koch Industries, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Exxon Mobil Rolls-Royce PLC.
