Companies may avoid political donations

WASHINGTON — Corporations and industry groups have donated at least $170 million in recent years to Republicans who rejected President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over President Donald Trump, according to a new report by a government watchdog group.

The report by Public Citizen examines corporate and trade association contributions made since the 2016 election cycle to the 147 members of Congress who, at Trump’s behest, objected to last week’s formal certifica

tion of November’s election.

Giving by such trade groups and corporate PACs has come under intense scrutiny in the wake of the deadly insurrection by Trump supporters, who stormed the U.S. Capitol to stop the vote. Many companies have since said they will avoid making donations to members of the House and Senate who voted to overturn Biden’s win.

Other companies have temporarily postponed political giving to both political parties.

Giving by corporate PACs and trade groups to individual candidates is limited to only $5,000 per candidate each year. But data reviewed by Public Citizen, which was provided to The Associated Press before the report’s release Wednesday, shows that when looked at more broadly, corporate giving still accounts for a significant stream of campaign cash, particularly to the Republicans in the House.

If corporations and industry groups “decided to actually get together and stop contributing to these people, it will have an effect,” said Mike Tanglis, Public Citizen’s research director, who co-authored the report. Tanglis said, however, that he’s “very skeptical that they will stop contributing to these people forever.”

The top corporate and industry givers to the 147 Republicans detailed in the report include:

$2 million by the National Association of Realtors. In an email, the group said it is “temporarily pausing” all federal contributions and will “closely monitor events in Washington in the days and weeks ahead.”

$2 million by the National Bankers Association. The group says it’s reviewing its practices, but has not made any decisions on how it will move forward.

$1.8 million by the National Beer Wholesalers Association.

Other prolific givers in the report include AT&T, Comcast, Exxon Mobil, Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/AP Hundreds of National Guard troops hold inside the Capitol Visitor’s Center to reinforce security Wednesday at the Capitol in Washington.