Under Increasing Pressure Microsoft Reconsiders PAC Donations To Congressional Insurrectionists

Microsoft announced that they will announce by February 15 whether they will “suspend further donations to individuals who voted against certification of the Electoral College.”

https://t.co/IyNyBCbJb4 pic.twitter.com/EtcpJbEZ9s

— Frank X. Shaw (@fxshaw) January 23, 2021

Microsoft confirmed publicly today, as it announced internally on Jan. 8, that it has halted all donations of its PAC while it reviews whether to suspend further donations to individuals who voted against certification of the Electoral College. The company added that it will announce its decision by Feb. 15 after completing discussions with its employees. As Microsoft executives have said internally to employees, this is not a normal year. The company believes that opposition to the Electoral College undermined American democracy and should have consequences.

According to Business Insider, Microsoft president and chief legal officer Brad Smith offered his employees a candid take this week on why the company gives money to politicians, shedding light on the heated debate over how corporate America should respond to GOP-led efforts to overturn the results of the US presidential election. “It plays an important role. Not because the checks are big, but because the way the political process works,” Smith said, according to CNBC. “Politicians in the United States have events, they have weekend retreats, you have to write a check and then you’re invited and participate.”

Popular Information’s Judd Legum wrote, “following the insurrection at the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. on January 6th, major corporations say they will stop donating to members of Congress who tried to overturn the election. Before the riots began, 14 Senators said they planned to join the objections for one or more states. But eight Senators — Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Roger Marshall (R-KS), John Kennedy (R-LA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) — followed through with their objections when the Senate reconvened after order was restored. As the world watched in horror, these Senators carried through with their plans to validate baseless allegations of fraud and undermine the democratic system.”

The Kansas City Star said that Hawley had “blood on his hands” and should resign. The Houston Chronicle said Cruz’s “lies cost lives” and called for his resignation.

No one other than President Donald Trump himself is more responsible for Wednesday’s coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol than one Joshua David Hawley, the 41-year-old junior senator from Missouri, who put out a fundraising appeal while the siege was underway.

This, Sen. Hawley, is what law-breaking and destruction look like. This is not a protest, but a riot. One woman who was apparently part of the pro-Trump mob was fatally shot by Capitol Police as lawmakers took cover. Some of those whose actions Trump encouraged and later condoned brought along their Confederate flags.

And no longer can it be asked, as George Will did recently of Hawley, “Has there ever been such a high ratio of ambition to accomplishment?”

Above: Jeff Hawley

In addition Dow Inc., Citibank, Mastercard, AT&T, Deloitte, Morgan Stanley,Viacom CBS, Pfizer, Amazon, Airbnb, and American Express were among the many companies that said unequivocally “suspend all political contributions to members of Congress that who voted to object to the Electoral College certification.”

Microsoft told Popular Information that its “political action committee decided last Friday that it will not make any political donations until after it assesses the implications of last week’s events.”

Microsoft’s PAC donated $3,500 to Lummis, $3,500 to Marshall, and $2,500 to Hawley.

Above: Microsoft president Brad Smith.REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson

On Thursday Legum wrote: Microsft is one of the largest contributors to the members of Congress who tried to subvert the Democratic process Microsoft has made NO COMMITMENTS to stop funding this group At a company meeting on Thursday, Prez Brad Smith explained why.  And it’s pretty appalling “Unclear why Microsoft isn’t making a decision now but it appears to be signaling that it will cut off donations to this group: “The company believes that opposition to the Electoral College undermined American democracy and should have consequences.”

In a transcript of the meeting leaked to CNBC, Smith said that Microsoft needs to make contributions to politicians because sending these politicians money allows him to “pick up the phone” and get “help.”

1. @Microsoft is one of the largest contributors to the members of Congress who tried to subvert the Democratic process

Microsoft has made NO COMMITMENTS to stop funding this group

At a company meeting on Thursday, Prez Brad Smith explained why.

And it’s pretty appalling

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) January 23, 2021

Smith says Microsoft is going to continuing to give lots of politicians money because this “help” — which includes help on “tax issues” — is “important” Apparently more important than the integrity of the democratic process. We’ve maintained a list of companies who have pledged to suspend donations to the 147 members of Congress who objected to the electoral college. @Microsoft is not on that list. Now we know why.

3. Smith says @Microsoft is going to continuing to give lots of politicians money because this “help” — which includes help on “tax issues” — is “important”

Apparently more important than the integrity of the democratic process.

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) January 23, 2021