repercussions
Marriott, Blue Cross Blue Shield halt donations to lawmakers who opposed certifying Biden win
Marriott, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and Commerce Bank have all suspended contributions to lawmakers who voted against certifying President-elect Joe Biden's win.
Those lawmakers — 139 Republican representatives and eight Republican senators — "voted to undermine our democracy," the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association said. Commerce Bank echoed these sentiments, saying the officials "impeded the peaceful transfer of power."
Marriott is the world's largest hotel chain, and its political action committee is funded by employee contributions. Federal Election Commission data shows that during the last election cycle, the company's PAC gave more than $410,000 to lawmakers. In a statement, Marriott condemned "the destructive events at the Capitol" that were meant to "undermine a legitimate and fair election."
Major companies that have yet to take similar stances should prepare for an upcoming advertising blitz by the Lincoln Project. Launched by current and former Republicans in late 2019, the group's goal was to defeat President Trump, and now that he's almost out of office, their attention is shifting. The Washington Post reports that in the next few days, the Lincoln Project will start a huge TV ad campaign targeting companies that are still giving money to GOP lawmakers who voted against certifying the election results.
Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt told the Post between $80 and $90 million was "spent by corporate America on political committees ... on extremist groups that have destabilized American democracy. After this point, nothing goes back to normal." He didn't name the companies that will be targeted, but did note that Charles Schwab, BlackRock, and AT&T all donate to Republican lawmakers.