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READ THE REPORT

Washington, D.C. — As the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack continues its probe into the deadly Capitol insurrection attempt, government watchdog Accountable.US released a new report — first reported in HuffPost — showing that five of the largest federal defense contractors, which have all publicly claimed to protect “democracy” or “democracies,” gave a staggering $268,500 to the most openly anti-democratic U.S. House members, including those who voted against certifying the 2020 election results, against creating a select committee to investigate the events of January 6, and against the For the People Act and its reforms to restore democracy. 

These companies include Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon, which all gained widespread attention for halting political contributions following the Capitol riot only to reopen their wallets, apparently once they thought the public was no longer paying attention. It also includes General Dynamics, which never promised to halt its donations in the wake of the attempted insurrection. Donations from these five contractors make up 53% of the total $501,000 that 16 of the nation’s top corporations gave to the 67 most anti-democratic lawmakers, including Sedition Caucus members. 

“Corporations that halted political donations after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, yet quickly forgave the lawmakers who helped incite it, have shown their support for democracy takes a back seat to maintaining their political influence,” said Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US. “The decision to open their wallets for some of the worst anti-democratic voices in Congress shows, at best, that they believe democracy is a value that can be compromised.”  

Some findings detailed in the watchdog’s report include: 

  • Lockheed Martin gave $74,000 to anti-democratic lawmakers in 2021 after temporarily pausing political contributions following Jan. 6, giving nearly $750,000 during the 2020 cycle to those who ultimately voted against certifying the results of the 2020 Election, and claiming responsibility for “powering the arsenal of democracy in World War II.”
     
  • Boeing gave $56,000 to anti-democratic lawmakers in 2021 after claiming to serve a “vital role” in “defending democracy here, and around the world” and, following the insurrection, promising that political contributions would only go to those who “‘uphold our country’s most fundamental principles.’”
     
  • Northrop Grumman gave $46,000 to anti-democratic lawmakers in 2021 after being the first major defense contractor to pause contributions following Jan. 6, giving nearly $687,500 during the 2020 cycle to those who ultimately voted against certifying the results of the 2020 Election, and claiming its work “preserves freedom and democracy.” 
  • Raytheon gave $16,500 to anti-democratic lawmakers in 2021 after pausing political contributions following Jan. 6 — claiming it would “reflect on the current environment — and after its CEO claimed the company has a “mission” of “protecting democracy.”
     
  • General Dynamics gave $76,000 to anti-democratic lawmakers in 2021 after declining to publicly pause post-insurrection contributions and after its CEO said “it is our moral imperative to support our nation and to support our nation’s allies in the work they do to keep democracies safe.’” 

Read the full report here.  

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