59 'pro-LGBTQ' companies that donate to McConnell as he blocks equality bill
Members of the Business Coalition for the Equality Act have given Mitch McConnell more than $287,000 during the 2020 campaign cycle through their corporate PACs.
Dozens of the most vocally pro-LGBTQ companies are helping to bankroll the man blocking non-discrimination legislation. Their company political action committees have given Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hundreds of thousands in campaign cash.
An analysis of McConnell’s (R-KY) Federal Election Commission filings reveals that at least 59 members of the Human Rights Campaign’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act gave him corporate PACs contributions since the start of the 2020 campaign cycle.
The Equality Act would guarantee the same explicit federal legal protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity as currently exist on the basis of sex. This would include protections in employment, housing, public accommodations, and federal funding.
In March 2019, the Human Rights Campaign announced that 164 major companies had joined its coalition and were publicly supporting passage of the landmark law. As of last month, that number has grown to more than 300 businesses.
The House of Representatives passed the bill on a 236 to 173 vote in May 2019. Eight Republicans joined all 228 Democrats present in support.
But, like hundreds of other pieces of House legislation, the Equality Act has been held up by McConnell.
“We’re not gonna pass those,” he told Fox News in February of the roughly 400 bills passed by the House currently piled up on his desk. “They’ve been on full left-wing parade over there, trotting out all of their left-wing solutions that are going to be issues in the fall campaign.”
McConnell has openly bragged of being the “Grim Reaper” of the Senate, who obstructs progressive policy proposals.
A Human Rights Campaign spokesperson said in an email that McConnell’s “disregard for the civil rights and dignity of LGBTQ people is unconscionable.”
“The hundreds of corporate partners of the Human Rights Campaign know well how important our work is — to their employees, and to our community — and it’s why they’ve publicly supported HRC’s efforts to have the Senate vote on the Equality Act,” the spokesperson said. “Mitch McConnell should listen and give the Equality Act a simple majority vote in the Senate, just as it’s had in the House.”
McConnell’s office did not respond to an inquiry about his views on LGBTQ rights, but he voted against an employment nondiscrimination bill in 2013 and received a score of zero from the Human Rights Campaign for the last Congress, indicating that he opposed the group’s agenda at every opportunity.
The Supreme Court ruled last month that the Civil Rights Act bans employment discrimination against LGBTQ workers. But other areas of discrimination, like public accommodations, were not covered by the decision.
“Sadly, there’s still a large swath of ways in which LGBTQ individuals can be discriminated against without federal statutory protection,” Kimberly West-Faulcon, a constitutional law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, told the San Francisco Chronicle after the ruling. The Equality Act would close those gaps.
Despite his obstruction, the 59 companies provided McConnell with more than $287,000 altogether from their employee-funded corporate political action committees.
They are:
3M
The 3M PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Amazon
The Amazon PAC gave McConnell at least $1,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
American Express
The American Express PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Bank of America
The Bank of America Corp. PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Bayer
The Bayer Corporation PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Best Buy
The Best Buy Employee Political Forum gave McConnell at least $3,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Brown-Forman
The Brown-Forman Corp. PAC gave McConnell at least $10,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Caesars Entertainment
The Caesars Entertainment Inc. Federal PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Chicago Mercantile Exchange
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Cisco Systems
The Cisco Systems E-PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Citigroup
The Citigroup, Inc. PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
Citigroup declined to comment for this story.
Coca-Cola
The Coca-Cola Company Nonpartisan Committee for Good Government PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Corning
The Corning Inc. Employees PAC gave McConnell at least $9,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Cummins
The Cummins Inc. PAC gave McConnell at least $3,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
CVS
The CVS Health PAC gave McConnell at least $10,000.
A CVS Health spokesperson said in an email that the company is proud of its record on LGBTQ equality, writing, “CVS Health makes donations across the political spectrum and to elected officials from both major parties. Donations are by no means a blanket endorsement of an elected official’s position on every issue.”
Delta
The Delta Air Lines Inc. PAC gave McConnell at least $7,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Diageo
The Diageo North America, Inc. PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
eBay
The eBay Inc. Committee for Responsible Internet Commerce PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Edison International
The Edison International Companies Federal PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
An Edison International spokesperson explained the company takes pride in its “efforts to cultivate a diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace for our employees” and “supports policymakers from across the political spectrum whose public policy efforts directly impact the lives of customers in our service territory and the utility industry in general.”
Equitable
The AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Ernst & Young
The Ernst & Young PAC gave McConnell at least $1,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Exelon
The Exelon Corporation PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
The Facebook Inc. PAC gave McConnell at least $1,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
First Data
The First Data Corporation PAC gave McConnell at least $10,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
General Electric
The General Electric Company PAC gave McConnell at least $9,000.
A General Electric spokesperson said in an email that its PAC supports “elected officials based on a wide range of issues” and that the company has “consistently spoken out in support of a diverse, inclusive workforce, both on our own and in partnership with organizations like the Human Rights Campaign.”
General Motors
The General Motors Corp. PAC gave McConnell at least $7,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Gilead Sciences
The Gilead Sciences Inc. Healthcare Policy PAC gave McConnell at least $10,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
The Google NetPAC gave McConnell at least $9,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Guardian
The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Hess
The Hess Corporation PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Hilton
The Hilton Worldwide PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A Hilton spokesperson said in an email that its PAC contributed both to McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, adding, “A fair assessment of the Hilton PAC donations will show 44% are made to Republicans, 44% to Democrats and 12% to Trade Associations.”
Iron Mountain
The Iron Mountain Incorporated Employees PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
John Hancock
The John Hancock Life Insurance Company Federal PAC gave McConnell at least $3,100.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Johnson & Johnson
The Johnson & Johnson PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
KPMG
The KPMG PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
KPMG declined to comment for this story.
Marriott
The Marriott International, Inc. PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Mastercard
The Mastercard International Inc. Employees PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Merck
The Merck & Company, Inc. PAC gave McConnell at least $10,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Microsoft
The Microsoft Corporation PAC gave McConnell at least $10,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Molson Coors
The MillerCoors LLC PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Oracle
The Oracle Corporation PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Pfizer
The Pfizer PAC gave McConnell at least $386.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
PG&E
The PG&E Employees Energy PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000.
A PG&E spokesperson said in an email that the company supports “a workplace that promotes diversity and inclusion, recognizing that this will allow us to better serve our customers and communities” and “participates in the political process to support candidates who understand our business and support issues that are important to the company, our employees and our customers.”
PwC
The PricewaterhouseCoopers PAC gave McConnell at least $7,500.
A PwC spokesperson said in an email that the company “is committed to LGBTQ+ inclusion across our firm and communities” and its PAC “reviews its political contributions on an on-going basis.”
Procter & Gamble
The Procter & Gamble Company Good Government Committee PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
S&P
The S&P Global Inc. PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Siemens
The Siemens Corp. PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Southwest
The Southwest Airlines Company Freedom Fund PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Synchrony
The Synchrony Financial Employees PAC gave McConnell at least $4,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
T-Mobile
The T-Mobile PAC gave McConnell at least $7,500. A total of $500 of that was designated as an “in-kind” contribution of catering and site rental for an event.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Takeda
The Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. PAC gave McConnell at least $7,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Target
The TargetCitizens Political Forum PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
TD Bank
The TD Bank North America PAC gave McConnell at least $2,000.
A TD Bank spokesperson said in an email that it supports “equal rights for the LGBTQ2+ community and all people” and its PAC “makes contributions to candidates on both sides of the aisle based on their positions on banking policy and the financial services industry. Our contributions are not endorsements of their views on social issues, which may differ from our position in some cases.”
TransUnion
The Trans Union LLC PAC gave McConnell at least $3,500.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
United Parcel Service
The United Parcel Service PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Verizon
The Verizon Communications Good Government Club PAC gave McConnell at least $10,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Visa
The Visa USA Inc. PAC gave McConnell at least $5,000.
A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about the donations.
Wells Fargo
The Wells Fargo Employee PAC gave McConnell at least $2,500.
A Wells Fargo spokesperson said in an email that the company’s nonpartisan PAC “aims to support candidates for public office who are knowledgeable about and support the financial services industry, economic growth, innovation, and a strong workforce. We do not necessarily agree with or endorse every view held by the candidates.”
The statement noted the company’s “strong record of support for comprehensive non-discrimination policies,” adding that Wells Fargo joined the coalition in 2018 because it “aligns with our vision and values, as well as the need to create consistency out of the patchwork of state and local laws across our footprint.”
Xcel Energy
The Xcel Energy Employee PAC gave McConnell at least $10,000.
An Xcel Energy spokesperson said in an email that the company “has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion” and said its “PAC has a long track record of bipartisan giving.
“No single member of Congress will be aligned with us on every issue. We do believe, however, that it’s important to engage with all our elected leaders to ensure that we have a voice in the important issues that shape our communities and impact our customers and stakeholders,” the company said.
Updated with a statement from TD Bank.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
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