As they did recently over gun safety, immigration, climate change, social justice and the infamous bathroom bills, major business leaders have protested new voter-restriction efforts in state legislatures. I am proud to have had a role in helping trigger some of this activity. Critics have mocked such civic engagement with headlines like “Woke CEOs’ Foolhardy…
Category: Citizens United
Amazon, Target and Netflix among companies signing letter opposing voting restrictions – The Washington Post
Top Republican officials continue to push back against a surge of major companies and corporate leaders who oppose new voting laws being pursued by Republicans in dozens of states, with fresh signs that some in the GOP are waiting to see how far companies are willing to go on this issue. Even as executives representing…
Companies are considering withholding donations and investments over controversial voting bills in states – The Washington Post
More than 100 chief executives and corporate leaders gathered online Saturday to discuss taking new action to combat the controversial state voting bills being considered across the country, including the one recently signed into law in Georgia. Executives from major airlines, retailers and manufacturers — plus at least one NFL owner — talked about potential…
More Than 100 CEOs Discuss Opposition to Vote Suppression Laws
More than 100 of the nation’s top corporate leaders met virtually on Saturday to discuss ways for companies to continue responding to the passage of more restrictive voting laws across the country, a signal that the nation’s premier businesses are preparing a far more robust, organized response to the ongoing debate. With some CEOs chiming in from…
The Growing Perils of Corporate Political Involvement
Corporations are having a tough time navigating the pressure from all sides on political statements, including campaign contributions, as it is increasingly difficult to avoid offending a substantial number of customers, employees, or investors. Judd Legum continues to track corporate promises — and broken promises — about political contributions. And a number of other articles…
Corporate Political Spending Under the Spotlight Again: Georgia Voter Suppression
Corporations are still struggling with pressure on political contributions to elected officials connected to the January 6 insurrection in the Capitol Building, and now they are also under the microscope for connections to Georgia and other states enacting restrictive and racist new laws suppressing the votes of BIPOC and poor people. Connections to January 6…
Proxy Season 2021
The annual webinar hosted by As You Sow on the upcoming proxy season had to build in some extra time this year. The events and upheavals of 2020 are reflected in the range and impact of this year’s shareholder proposals. As You Sow’s Andrew Behar led off with a strong statement: “If there is a…
Major corporations announce opposition to voter suppression bills in Arizona – Popular Information
In response to inquiries from Popular Information, two major corporations said they opposed the 22 bills introduced in the Arizona legislature to restrict voting. Over the last three years, Union Pacific donated $13,000 to 20 Arizona legislators that have sponsored bills to restrict voting. In a statement, Union Pacific said it “does not support these…
The risks of corporate political spending after the Jan. 6 insurrection: Ciara Torres-Spelliscy
As I explained in my book Political Brands and in a law review article entitled “Shooting Your Brand in the Foot,” corporate political spending comes with many reputational risks including associating a well-crafted corporate brand with a toxic politician. If a politician that a corporation has supported gets into an embarrassing scandal or legal trouble,…
BlackRock should disclose political activity, pension funds say – The Washington Post
Public pension funds overseeing more than $1 trillion are piling pressure on BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, to ramp up disclosure of its political activities in the wake of the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. In a Monday letter to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, 24 officials from retirement funds accuse the Wall…
