Toyota halting contributions to US lawmakers who opposed Biden certification

Toyota Motor Corp’s Political Action Committee (7203.T) will stop donations to US members of Congress who voted against President Joe Biden’s electoral certification in January, the company said Thursday.

Japan’s largest automaker has come under heavy criticism for donations made to some lawmakers – members of President Donald Trump’s Republican Party – who voted against certifying Biden’s victory in some US states.

“We are actively listening to our stakeholders and, for now, have decided to stop contributing to members of Congress who challenged the certification of some states in the 2020 elections,” the company said.

More than 535 people have been arrested and charged with participating in a violent attack on the United States Capitol on January 6 in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Congress from certifying Biden’s electoral victory over Trump.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) reported on June 23 that Toyota made a total of $ 56,000 in donations to 38 of the 147 Republican lawmakers who voted against Biden’s electoral certification and said it was the most that a company contributed directly to legislators opposed to certification.

This disclosure and the media coverage that followed sparked a frenzy of criticism against Toyota, which had previously championed donations.

The Lincoln Project, a group largely of Republicans who criticize Trump, released an announcement Thursday calling for Toyota’s donations to those Republicans.

A Toyota spokesperson did not say how long the stoppage of contributions will last. The company noted that its Political Action Committee also supported Republicans and Democrats and added that the company “has long-standing relationships with members of Congress from all political backgrounds, particularly those representing our operations in the States. -United”.

Many Toyota auto factories are in southern states that are home to lawmakers who voted against Biden’s victory.

Jordan Libowitz, a spokesperson for CREW, praised Toyota’s move but said “it shouldn’t take a public pressure campaign to get them to do the right thing, but we’re glad it worked.” .

CREW said the second-largest corporate donor directly to lawmakers opposed to certification was Koch Industries with $ 17,500 for seven lawmakers.

Dozens of companies have said they will suspend donations following the vote and violence on Capitol Hill.

Microsoft Corp said in February that its PAC would suspend all donations until 2022 to the 147 lawmakers who voted against certification, as well as contributions during the same period for state officials and organizations that suggested the cancellation of the elections.

Alphabet Inc’s Google PAC and General Electric Co have also suspended donations until 2022.

(Source: Reuters)

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