The Walt Disney Co. and the Motion Picture Association are joining Comcast and AT&T in halting political contributions to House and Senate lawmakers who voted to reject the certification of electoral votes for Joe Biden.
A Disney spokesperson said, “The insurrection at our nation’s Capitol was a direct assault on one of our country’s most revered tenets: the peaceful transition of power. In the immediate aftermath of that appalling siege, Members of Congress had an opportunity to unite—an opportunity that some sadly refused to embrace. In light of these events, we have decided we will not make political contributions in 2021 to lawmakers who voted to reject the certification of the Electoral College votes.”
According to Deadline, Patrick Kilcur, executive vice president for U.S. government affairs for the MPA, said in a statement, “The Motion Picture Association is shocked and saddened by the horrific events at the U.S. Capitol last week. As such, we have decided to suspend for the foreseeable future all contributions to Members of Congress who voted to challenge the certification of the votes of the Electoral College.
“What’s more, many MPA and member company employees, myself included, spent many years of our careers working in the Capitol as congressional staff. Our thoughts and prayers remain with our friends and colleagues who bravely endured last week’s assault — and continue to serve our country during these challenging times.”
AT&T, parent company of WarnerMedia, and Comcast, parent of NBCUniversal, announced on Monday that they would be suspending contributions, joining a host of other companies including Marriott, Blue Cross Blue Shield and American Express.
The Motion Picture Association’s member companies are Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, Warner Bros. Entertainment and Netflix Studios.
Eight Republican senators and 139 House members voted against certifying Biden’s win, even in the aftermath of the riots at the Capitol.
Corporate PACs can give a maximum of $2,800 to each candidate per election, and $5,000 to a party committee. The senators who voted against certification include Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY).