Today, End Citizens United released a letter calling on Disney to shut down its corporate PAC donations. ECU notes that corporate PACs like Disney’s, “are designed for the sole purpose of gaining access and influence,” while disregarding the real-life ramifications of backing politicians that support legislation “that is dangerous to the lives of the American people and our democracy.”
After being exposed for funding Florida politicians who support an anti-LGBTQ bill, Disney announced that it would be temporarily pausing donations to Florida politicians while it considered a new framework for its corporate PAC. Disney workers are planning to stage a walkout today in protest of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and Disney Corporation’s funding of legislators who pushed the controversial legislation. In the last two years Disney has donated nearly $250,000 to members of the Florida legislature that voted for the “Don’t Say Gay” legislation and $50,000 to Governor Ron DeSantis.
Click here to read the full letter.
Top points of the letter include:
As you consider your framework, I urge you to permanently cease corporate campaign donations and political support entirely. Corporate PACs, like Disney’s, are designed for the sole purpose of gaining access and influence in Congress and state legislatures to boost profits. While this may serve as a useful business tactic, it more often than not disregards the real-life ramifications of funding politicians who are friendly to your corporation but support legislation that is dangerous to the lives of the American people and our democracy. Disney’s political support and funding of politicians who push anti-LGBTQ legislation is generating national backlash–and rightfully so–but there will be equally justified outrage when the American people realize you also actively fund and support politicians who work to restrict the freedom to vote, deny climate change, and place restrictions on women’s reproductive rights, among other issues.
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When politicians shield themselves from public scrutiny by developing campaign war chests funded by corporations like Disney, it creates an environment ripe for corruption. It weakens American democracy, hurts the American people, and makes for a bad business environment.
Disney has an opportunity to demonstrate that it understands the gravity of how its corporate PAC contributions negatively impacted the LGBTQ community, and it can be a leader by permanently ceasing its corporate PAC donations and direct corporate giving. It’s the only way to make an undeniable statement to the LGBTQ community that you hear their concerns and that you’re ready to be part of the solution.
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