Corporations have given over $100 million to the Sedition Caucus

Meanwhile, many of those few Republicans who broke against party lines and took a stand to protect democracy have now either resigned or been ousted from their seats. Of the 10 Republicans who voted in favorof Trump's second impeachment, eight are no longer in Congress, including Liz Cheney who played a key role on the House Select Committee to investigate January 6th. Cheney lost her seat to the Trump-endorsed Harriet Hageman. Hageman has characterizedattempts to hold Trump accountable for his actions related to January 6th as a "witch hunt." In February 2024, she co-sponsoreda resolution stating that Trump did not engage in insurrection.

The biggest spenders

Corporate donors

In total, corporations have donated $66 million to Sedition Caucus members' campaigns and leadership PACs. Koch Industries remains the top donor to seditionists in Congress, contributing $1.63 million to 105 members. Koch Industries gave the most funds to Speaker Mike Johnson ($55,000), Rep. Morgan Griffith ($35,000), Rep. Gary Palmer ($35,000), and Rep. Richard Hudson ($33,000), of members currently in office. Palmer and Hudson also supportedthe lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to undermine the 2020 election results in key battleground states, in addition to voting against the creation of the January 6th committee and the second Trump impeachment.

AT&T is the second largest contributor to the Sedition Caucus, giving $1.2 million to 130 members. AT&T has given the most to Speaker Mike Johnson ($30,000), Rep. Jason Smith ($30,000), and Rep. Elise Stefanik ($30,000). AT&T releaseda statement in the wake of the insurrection announcing its intention to cease all contributions to the lawmakers who voted not to certify the 2020 election. The other top corporate donors are American Crystal Sugar Company ($1.1 million to 115 members), UPS ($1 million to 109 members) and Lockheed Martin ($1 million to 118 members).

AT&T's position at the top of the list represents a significant ramping up of its contributions since 2021. In 2023, AT&T donated $394,000 to the Sedition Caucus, a 19,800% increase compared to the annual amount the company donated in 2021. Home Depot, the sixth largest corporate donor, also ramped up its giving. In 2023, Home Depot donated $312,500 to seditionist lawmakers, 557% more than it did in 2021.

Industry groups

Trade association groups, which represent major industries and have corporations as their funders and members, have given over $48 million to the campaign and leadership PACs of Sedition Caucus members through their own PACs, with the top donors being the American Bankers Association ($1.5 million to 140 members), the National Association of Realtors ($1.4 million to 137 members), the National Automobile Dealers Association ($1.38 million to 136 members), the National Beer Wholesalers Association ($1.29 million to 140 members) and the National Association of Homebuilders ($1.19 million to 141 members).

The American Bankers Association, the voice of the $24 trillion American banking industry, gave the most to Speaker Mike Johnson ($35,000), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer ($35,000) and Rep. Steve Scalise ($35,000). Rep. Luetkemeyer holds a coveted spot on the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees issues related to monetary policy and the economy as a whole.

The National Association of Realtors contributed $29,000 to Rep. Gary Palmer and $28,000 to Speaker Mike Johnson. Palmer has staunchly criticized the various attempts by state and federal prosecutors to hold Trump accountable. In response to the verdict by a Manhattan jury which found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records, Palmer characterizedthe conviction as a "form of political assassination." Similarly, Palmer describedthe federal indictment against Trump for his mishandling of classified documents as the"weaponization of the Department of Justice against President Biden's political enemies."

The National Automobile Dealers Association's top recipients were Rep. Roger Williams ($30,000), Rep. Elise Stefanik ($25,000), Rep. Mike Kelly ($25,000), Rep. Jodey Arrington ($25,000) and Rep. Steve Scalise ($25,000). Arrington, who serves as Chairman of the House Budget Committee, referredto the Jan. 6 Capitol attack as "dramatized and mischaracterized."

The National Beer Wholesalers Association donated $30,000 to Rep. Richard Hudson, $29,000 to Speaker Mike Johnson, and $27,500 to Rep. Elise Stefanik. Stefanik has referredto Jan. 6 defendants as "hostages" and even statedthat had she been Vice President under President Trump she would not have certified the 2020 election results. More concerningly, by her own admission, the 2020 election isn't the only election Stefanik might try to undermine. In an interview with Meet the Press, Stefanik respondedto a question about accepting the 2024 election results with the following: "We will see if this is an honest and legal election."

Standing by pledges

Corporations may see political giving as a way to get a seat at the table. But today, the proverbial table is fragile. By giving large sums of money to those who violated the Constitution and refused to certify the 2020 election, these corporations are bankrolling its fracture, in spite of even their own interests: a stable democracy is goodfor business.

In spite of the pressures to return to business as usual, some companies have remained committed to upholding democracy. Today, 37 companies, out of the original 249, have kept their promise not to donate to the lawmakers who voted against certifying the 2020 election results. These include several Fortune 500 companies such as Nike, General Mills, Clorox, Whirlpool and Cisco Systems.

These examples demonstrate that funding seditionist lawmakers is a choice: it's possible for corporations to uphold democracy without sacrificing their success. They also show that companies that have resumed giving shouldn't have an excuse. We recognize these companies to spotlight and commend their dedication to this important issue, and with the hope that they continue to keep their commitments and that others may follow suit.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.