Last year, in a public stand following January 6th, Amazon pledged to stop its corporate PAC contributions to politicians who tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election.“Given the unacceptable attempt to undermine a legitimate democratic process, the Amazon PAC has suspended contributions to any Member of Congress who voted to override the results of the US Presidential election,” the company wrote back in January 2021. Amazon made that promise along with multiple other tech leviathans.
But now, the company has quietly re-started funelling money to election denying House members. Amazon’s political action committee sent at least $US17,500 ($24,294) total to nine different such GOP Representatives in just the month of September, as first reported by Judd Legum on his news site Popular Information. Based on Federal Election Commission data, Gizmodo verified that Amazon’s recent PAC donations to election deniers include:
- $US1,000 ($1,388) to August Pfluger (R-TX)
- $US1,000 ($1,388) to Stephanie Bice (R-OK)
- $US2,500 ($3,471) to Tom Cole (R-OK)
- $US1,000 ($1,388) to Darrell Issa (R-CA)
- $US1,000 ($1,388) to Garret Graves (R-LA)
- $US2,500 ($3,471) to Sam Graves (R-MO)
- $US2,500 ($3,471) to Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL)
- $US5,000 ($6,941) to Mike Rogers (R-AL)
- $US1,000 ($1,388) Rob Wittman (R-VA).
In February, the company also gave $US30,000 ($41,646) each to the National Republican Senate Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee — both of which obviously fund election deniers. Asked about the donations, an Amazon spokesperson said the following in an email to Gizmodo:
The Amazon Political Action Committee has long given to members of Congress who share our views on issues that are important to our customers and our business in general. When we announced shortly after the attack on the Capitol in January 2021 that we would suspend donations to members of Congress who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, it was not intended to be permanent. It’s been more than 21 months since that suspension and, like a number of companies, we’ve resumed giving to some members.
It’s worth noting that, even during the so-called “suspension” Amazon’s corporate lobbyists never stopped funding election deniers. So, it’s unclear what benefit the action truly had on campaign finances or the health of U.S. democracy.
And as Amazon pointed out in its statement, lots of other companies have resumed openly giving money to these “Stop the Steal” politicians. AT&T, for instance, has given $US448,900 ($623,163) to 87 different Republican objectors since they vowed to suspend contributions. Intel has given at least $US38,000 ($52,752). Verizon has donated $US123,000 ($170,749) to 54 different GOP election deniers, according to Popular Info’s continually updating list on the matter.
Amazon’s numbers may seem a pittance by comparison, but the e-tailer’s PAC is only getting started. September was the first month it resumed direct donations to election denying political campaigns, just in time for midterm elections.