What you need to know
Microsoft will suspend its PAC contributions through the 2022 election cycle to members of Congress who voted to object the certification of electors.
The company is creating a Democracy Forward Initiative that focuses on promoting public transparency, campaign finance reform, and voting rights.
Microsoft will rename its PAC to the Microsoft Corporation Stakeholders Voluntary PAC (MSVPAC).
Microsoft announced several changes to how it will handle political contributions going forward that go through its PAC. The PAC has a new name and will not make contributions for any members of Congress who voted to object the certification of electors (through the 2022 election cycle). Microsoft will also create what it calls the Democracy Forward Initiative to give its employees another option for donations.
Microsoft suspends donations for politicians who attempted to overturn the 2020 election
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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Microsoft has announced that it will suspend all donations for the upcoming 2022 election cycle for any members of Congress, state officials, and organizations that voted to object to the certification of electors in the 2020 election or supported attempting to overturn the election.
The company temporarily suspended all political contributions after the January 6th attack on the Capitol, with Microsoft taking the time to decide “whether to suspend further donations to individuals who voted against certification of the Electoral College.” Today’s announcement makes that decision a permanent one for the coming election cycle, but only for politicians who attempted to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. (Other politicians will still be eligible for Microsoft’s donations.)