Records Show Tech, Telecom Executives Gave to GOP Election Objectors
Public records show top tech and telecom executives gave campaign contributions in recent years to several members of Congress who objected to certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Numerous tech and telecom companies halted political action committee contributions after last week’s riot on Capitol Hill.
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Records show Kent Walker, Google senior vice president-global affairs, donated in recent years to House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., who objected to certifying the election results in Arizona and Pennsylvania. Walker contributed $2,600, $2,700 and $5,600 to Scalise in 2016, 2018 and 2019, respectively. He also donated $250 to the Republican National Committee in October and $5,000 a year to both the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2009 and 2010. Google didn’t comment on whether Walker plans to continue donating to Scalise or whether CEO Sundar Pichai, who donated $33,900 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2017, will continue to fund that organization. Both Walker and Pichai consistently donated to Democratic candidates as well.
Records show Alphabet, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Intel were top donors for several Republican lawmakers who voted against certifying the election. A spokesperson for Intel said the company’s decision is limited to PAC activity, not employees’ personal political activity. The other companies didn’t comment.
Amazon was a top donor in 2019-20 for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and fellow Republican Reps. Greg Steube of Florida and Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, and in 2017-18 for Rep. Darrell Issa of California. Amazon was McCarthy’s eighth-highest donor, contributing $33,152, $10,000 of which came from PACs. The rest of the money came from individuals at Amazon.
Alphabet is a top donor for House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Scalise in 2019-20. The company was Jordan’s 10th-highest donor, contributing $10,075, almost all of it from PACs. Alphabet was Scalise’s sixth-highest donor, contributing $26,695, $10,000 of which came from PACs. It was also the 27th-highest donor for Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, at $10,000.
Microsoft is listed as a top donor for Jordan, McCarthy, Scalise, Issa and Steube. The company ranked 37th on McCarthy’s list of donors, contributing $16,885, $10,000 from PACs. It was 40th for Jordan, contributing $6,150, $4,000 of which came from PACs.
Oracle, which hasn't taken a stance on political contributions, was a major donor for McCarthy and Jordan in 2019-20. The company was McCarthy’s 25th-highest donor, contributing $20,138, almost all from individuals; and Jordan’s 42nd-highest donor, contributing $6,015 from individuals. Oracle didn’t comment.
Records show Ed Gillespie, AT&T senior executive vice president-external and legal affairs, gave $500 to Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., in 2018 and Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., in 2019 -- both objected to the Electoral College results. Gillespie, who was counselor to President George W. Bush and RNC chair 2003-04, also gave $5,000 to the Republican Party of Virginia in 2016. Gillespie didn’t respond to a request for comment. AT&T, which gives a roughly equal amount to Democrats and Republicans, decided to suspend contributions to members of Congress who voted to object to the results after the riot in Washington (see 2101110062).
AT&T gave the maximum contribution allowed, $10,000, in 2019-20 to Republican Reps. Robert Aderholt of Alabama; Andy Briggs and David Schweikert of Arizona; Mike Bost of Illinois; Michael Burgess and Beth Van Duyne of Texas; Steve Chabot and Bill Johnson of Ohio; Tom Cole of Oklahoma; Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida; Jeff Duncan and Tom Rice of South Carolina; Ron Estes of Kansas; Virginia Foxx and Richard Hudson of North Carolina; Sam Graves, Billy Long, Blaine Luetkemeyer and Jason Smith of Missouri; Scalise and Mike Johnson of Louisiana; Mike Kelly and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania; David Kustoff of Tennessee; Devin Nunes of California; Adrian Smith of Nebraska; Elise Stefanik and Lee Zeldin of New York; Tim Walberg of Michigan; and Jackie Walorski of Indiana.
Records show Comcast’s PAC gave maximum contributions of $10,000 to Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and $5,000 to Sens. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., and Roger Marshall, R-Kan. Comcast gave to several Republican House members who objected, including Nunes. Charter also gave to several members who objected to the certification, including $5,000 to Lummis and $15,000 to Mike Johnson during the 2020 election.
USTelecom Chair Jason Williams, CEO of Blackfoot Communications, gave $500 to WinRed -- an online fundraising platform launched to combat Democrats’ ActBlue -- in 2020. Vice Chair Jeff England of Silver Star Communications also gave $500 to Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., in 2019. Mullin objected to the Electoral College results. USTelecom decided to pause contributions from its PAC this week. NCTA, which hasn’t commented on whether it will pause or discontinue political contributions, gave $10,000 to several Republican House members.