by Christopher Ingraham, Minnesota Reformer
Within the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, many main Minnesota companies introduced they have been pausing their political donations to evaluate their giving technique.
Some went additional, vowing to not bankroll political candidates who supported Donald Trump’s try and overturn the 2020 election.
However at this time, three and a half years later, almost all of them have resumed giving cash to politicians participating in election denial, in line with an evaluation by Residents for Duty and Ethics in Washington, a nonprofit that investigates authorities corruption.
Amongst them have been a few of Minnesota’s blue-chip mega firms: UnitedHealth, Goal, Finest Purchase, 3M, U.S. Bancorp, Ameriprise and Ecolab, which all promised to not donate to members of what CREW calls the “sedition caucus.”
However as of at this time, they’ve given lots of of hundreds of {dollars} to politicians who voted towards certifying the 2020 election, opposed the institution of the Jan. 6 committee, or in any other case supported Trump’s try and undo the 2020 outcomes.
A lot of different Minnesota corporations, together with CHS, C.H. Robinson, Thrivent and Polaris, by no means promised to droop donations and have continued giving cash to candidates who sought to undermine the rightful, peaceable switch of energy after the 2020 election.
A kind of corporations, Moorhead-based American Crystal Sugar, has for years been one of many largest monetary supporters of the sedition caucus. In accordance with CREW’s evaluation, they’ve given over $1 million since 2021, the third highest quantity within the nation. Amongst different issues, they’re centered on sustaining the federal program that retains sugar costs excessive and undergirds their profitability.
Just one present Minnesota lawmaker voted towards certifying the 2020 election outcomes: Rep. Michelle Fischbach of the seventh District, who falsely informed Fox Information shortly after the 2020 election that vote tabulators have been “discovering votes” when the truth is they have been counting them.
In an indication of the state Republican Social gathering’s post-Jan. 6 radicalization, she was unable to acquire the get together’s endorsement this yr and is now dealing with a main problem from a Christian nationalist who says his aim is to “harness God’s energy to steer unusual Individuals and their legislators in Washington again in direction of the Lord.”
CREW mentioned the businesses ought to thoughts the worth of a secure democracy.
“Firms rely upon the steadiness and legal guidelines of a robust democracy to be able to do enterprise,” CREW writes. “Taking a stand towards lawlessness aligns with the long-term pursuits of corporations benefiting from authorities safety of mental property, contract enforcement and help for American enterprise pursuits at dwelling and overseas.”
In accordance with their evaluation, only one Minnesota firm has to this point upheld a promise to not give cash to election deniers: Golden Valley-based Cheerio maker, Common Mills.
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