Walt Disney Co. and the Motion Picture Association are falling in line with other organizations and suspending contributions to lawmakers who objected to certifying the electoral votes in at least one state on January 6. Many Democrat politicians and celebrities have blamed the lawmakers’ willingness to challenge the election results as a motivating factor in the chaos that occurred as Congress gathered to certify the results.
“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,” a Disney spokesperson said, according to Deadline.
“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,” the spokesperson added.
Similarly, the Motion Picture Association’s executive vice president Patrick Kilcur said in a statement that the MPA is “shocked and saddened by the horrific events at the U.S. Capitol last week” and have thus “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.”
Other companies suspending political contributions to such politicians include Marriott, Blue Cross Blue Shield, American Express, Comcast, and AT&T.
The announcement comes as lawmakers, primarily Democrats, move to impeach President Trump, blaming him for inciting the riots that occurred at the U.S. Capitol last week. Some have also placed blame on the lawmakers who, prior to January 6, publicized their intention to challenge the electoral votes in disputed states — primarily Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Some of their Democrat colleagues are calling on them to resign, blaming them, in addition to Trump, for the chaos that descended upon the Capitol.
“Leading a debate in the Senate on ensuring election integrity is doing our jobs, and it’s in no way responsible for the despicable terrorists who attacked the Capitol yesterday,” Cruz said in response to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who called on the Texas senator to resign.
Eight GOP senators — Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Roger Marshall (R-KS), John Kennedy (R-LA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) — objected to electoral votes in at least one state after Congress reconvened following the protests, as did 139 House Republicans.
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