Press Releases
REPORT: U.S. Chamber Members Must Choose Between Ending Affiliation — or Violating Own Pledges Following Capitol Riot
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, government watchdog Accountable.US called on members of and donors to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCOC) who previously announced they would suspend political giving due to the January 6th Capitol insurrection to disassociate from the organization in light of the Chamber’s recent decision to resume political contributions to members of Congress — including those who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. The election certification vote was undeniably a controversy which helped incite the deadly and destructive riot witnessed at the U.S. Capitol.
Following the riot, a wave of companies and corporations, including the U.S. Chamber, announced they would be implementing a temporary pause or even a full stop to their political giving. Then, less than ten weeks later, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reversed course and announced it would be resuming political giving, even for those who voted against certifying the results of the U.S. presidential election – the very issue that brought the insurrectionists to the nation’s capital in the first place.
An Accountable.US review of Chamber membership found at least 24 members or donors who also pledged to suspend or reassess political giving following the riot. The watchdog sent letters today urging withdrawal from the USCOC to the companies and organizations that specifically pledged to not give political contributions after reprehensible events of January 6th, including: Google; Allstate; Disney; General Electric; Motion Picture Association of America; Nike; Pfizer; and S&P Global. These companies are violating the pledge they have made by maintaining membership and financial support of the U.S. Chamber which has committed to a policy that is in direction contradiction to the policies and values the companies have espoused. If these companies continue to support the U.S. Chamber, they are violating the spirit of the pledge they made.
“By continuing to provide financial support of the US Chamber, which is directly contradicting their announced policy, companies who have made pledges on political giving following the Capitol insurrection are violating the spirit of the pledges they made,” said Kyle Herrig, president of government watchdog Accountable.US. “Democracy is not a value that can be compromised, and neither should the promises companies make to uphold it.”
The letters were sent as part of Accountable.US’s ongoing ‘Subsidizing Sedition’ project tracking those at the center of the conservative movement that played a part in the Capitol insurrection and the money behind them.
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