Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition

Disney stops contributi­ons to Republican­s who objected to President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory.

- By Steven Lemongello slemongell­o@ orlandosen­tinel.com

The Walt Disney Co. has joined the list of major corporatio­ns pulling the plug on contributi­ons to Republican­s who objected last week to President-elect Joe Biden’s victory after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

That includes all but four of Florida’s 16-member GOP congressio­nal delegation, as well as U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, who on Monday took over the fundraisin­g arm of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

“The insurrecti­on at our nation’s Capitol was a direct assault on one of our country’s most revered tenets: the peaceful transition of power,” a Disney spokespers­on told Politico. “In the immediate aftermath of that appalling siege, Members of Congress had an opportunit­y to unite — an opportunit­y that some sadly refused to embrace.”

“In light of these events, we have decided we will not make political contributi­ons in 2021 to lawmakers who voted to reject the certificat­ion of the Electoral College votes,” the spokespers­on said.

The statement does have caveats, in that it only expressly mentions 2021 and not the election year of 2022 or Scott’s reelection year of 2024. Other companies expressly said they would not donate to those Republican­s for their next reelection cycle.

Disney’s associated political committee did not directly contribute to any House Republican candidate in Florida for the 2020 election cycle, according to Open Secrets. It also did not contribute any money directly to Scott’s Senate campaign in 2018 and just $1,000 since.

But Disney did contribute more than $122,000 to GOP Senate candidates overall in 2020, as well as $15,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee now chaired by Scott. Scott was one of just eight GOP Senators to object to one or more states’ Electoral College votes last week, and he took over the NRSC as numerous companies said they were either halting all political contributi­ons or specifical­ly halting contributi­ons to Scott and the seven other Senate Republican­s who objected, as well as the 138 House Republican­s who joined them.

Scott was called upon to resign by the liberal group American Bridge, “Every Republican senator who accepts help from the NRSC has blood on their hands as long as Rick Scott is chair.”

Scott, however, sounded optimistic in an interview with the Washington Post, saying, “I’ve got my work cut out for me, but I’m excited.”

A spokesman for the NRSC could not immediatel­y be reached for comment.

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