WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ten U.S. corporations slashed donations to candidates seeking federal office by more than 90% in January, after pledging to cut off giving to the Republicans who supported former President Donald Trump s attempt to overturn his election defeat. None of the political action committees of 10 major companies reviewed by Reuters, including Microsoft Corp, Walmart Inc, AT&T Inc and Comcast Corp, donated to any of the 147 congressional Republicans who voted to support Trump s claims just hours after his supporters launched a deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol. Disclosures to the Federal Election Commission ahead of a Saturday filing deadline showed the group of corporate PACs affiliated with those 10 companies made $13,000 in new donations to candidates in January. The reports were the first by the PACs to detail contributions made since the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
Political parties should start with collecting membership fees instead of discussing banning private donations, Anvar Samost finds on the Samost and sildam talk show.
Center Party leader Jüri Ratas said in an interview to Vikerraadio this week that the Riigikogu could discuss banning private donations to parties and creating a situation where parties are financed strictly from the state budget.
Samost found the former prime minister s proposal unclear and an unnecessary solution. It was made based on this idea that parties are somehow unable to make sure private donations are not made in exchange for corrupt favors, he said.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images, Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised around 50% more than it did in January 2019
Even in the aftermath of the Capitol siege, the committee raised $100,000 online daily in January.
The news comes despite companies including Marriot and Amazon pulling funding to some GOP lawmakers.
The campaign arm of the Senate GOP raised $8.33 million in January 2021, it said Tuesday.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) raised around 50% more than it did in January 2019.
Around half of this January s fundraising was raised online, where donations averaged $32, it said. The committee raised more than $100,000 online every day in January – including in the immediate aftermath of the Capitol siege and then President Donald Trump s second impeachment by the House of Representatives.