On January 11, 2022, Popular Information received an unsolicited email from Andrew R. Johnson, the Vice President for Corporate Affairs at American Express. This newsletter had just published our first report on corporations that pledged to stop donations to the 147 Republicans who had voted to overturn the election on January 6. For that article, Popular Information contacted more than 100 companies. But we had not yet reached out to American Express.
Three wows! Have you or anyone published data on the Congress wide ratio of corporate to individual donations? I would love to help you collect the data. Create a team and each of us will take a state and then monitor that states reported data and send you the results.
What Leutkemeyer said about his "list" amounts to threats and requests for bribery. A form of protection racket: "Either you pay me, or I treat you bad".
Bruce Miller’s idea is outstanding. Has anyone published the breakdown of corp vs individual donations per candidate running? If not, he has the best idea I’ve heard (or had) in a long time.
I think we should face reality with regards to most corporations, they only do what is best for there bottom line. All we have to do is recall history, the only reason Hitler stayed in power during the early 30’s was with German corporate support! They funded his rise to power.
The initial decision by AMEX to withhold donations was uncharacteristically laudable for a large corporation and the undoing of it is disappointing, but not unexpected. Personally, I was struck by the audacity of Blaine Luetkemeyer. -[' Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri, a Republican, recently told donors that if corporations were going to put him on an enemies list, he would create a list of his own.'] is troubling in its brazenness. It's no secret, donations curry favor and reap benefits for the donor, but to intentionally target non-supporters is troubling.
Impressive that on one hand donations are being made and yet the top of the food chain is committed to stopping such donations. How does that work AMEX??
I wanted to scream while reading this. Trumpian tactics - among them the politics of vendetta and revenge - have permeated politics. "Donate to my PAC or suffer the consequences" is blackmail.
And corporate spokespersons can never be trusted, especially those whose department is "Corporate Affairs."
Keep beating the drum for ending Citizens United. I have been unrelenting in my fury that big business and corporations are more important to Congress than the people they represent! A groundswell is needed to push back on this horrible SCOTUS decision. HOW DO WE push back, gain momentum to overturn this awful decision?
If we can't end the disastrous 'Citizens United" Effed-up SCOTUS decision that lets the country be taken over by corporations and the oligarchy, then we are all will stand by and watch the demise of our democratic republic.
Tax the rich! End Citizens United. Save the republic.
If AMEX is paying attention now, I hope you realize how dangerous your support is for those in government who followed Trump’s assault on the last presidential election. Don’t you realize AMEX needs a fair, honest and orderly form of government as much as the rest of us?
Three wows! Have you or anyone published data on the Congress wide ratio of corporate to individual donations? I would love to help you collect the data. Create a team and each of us will take a state and then monitor that states reported data and send you the results.
Serious, sweeping Campaign and Donor Finance Reform must be on the agenda. There is no chance of cleaning up this kind of corruption without it.
What Leutkemeyer said about his "list" amounts to threats and requests for bribery. A form of protection racket: "Either you pay me, or I treat you bad".
Isn't there a law about that?
I have long thought that American Express is heartless, and guess what! It Is! Hypocrisy is what happens when you treat a corporation like a person!
Bruce Miller’s idea is outstanding. Has anyone published the breakdown of corp vs individual donations per candidate running? If not, he has the best idea I’ve heard (or had) in a long time.
I think we should face reality with regards to most corporations, they only do what is best for there bottom line. All we have to do is recall history, the only reason Hitler stayed in power during the early 30’s was with German corporate support! They funded his rise to power.
The initial decision by AMEX to withhold donations was uncharacteristically laudable for a large corporation and the undoing of it is disappointing, but not unexpected. Personally, I was struck by the audacity of Blaine Luetkemeyer. -[' Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri, a Republican, recently told donors that if corporations were going to put him on an enemies list, he would create a list of his own.'] is troubling in its brazenness. It's no secret, donations curry favor and reap benefits for the donor, but to intentionally target non-supporters is troubling.
Revoke Citizens United and solve a host of problems! If only right? But perhaps the tides are turning?
Impressive that on one hand donations are being made and yet the top of the food chain is committed to stopping such donations. How does that work AMEX??
I wanted to scream while reading this. Trumpian tactics - among them the politics of vendetta and revenge - have permeated politics. "Donate to my PAC or suffer the consequences" is blackmail.
And corporate spokespersons can never be trusted, especially those whose department is "Corporate Affairs."
Keep beating the drum for ending Citizens United. I have been unrelenting in my fury that big business and corporations are more important to Congress than the people they represent! A groundswell is needed to push back on this horrible SCOTUS decision. HOW DO WE push back, gain momentum to overturn this awful decision?
If we can't end the disastrous 'Citizens United" Effed-up SCOTUS decision that lets the country be taken over by corporations and the oligarchy, then we are all will stand by and watch the demise of our democratic republic.
Tax the rich! End Citizens United. Save the republic.
Thank you, Judd. This is the kind of reporting, AND CHECKING, that we need from more journalists like you. ❤️
Keep pounding on this!
If AMEX is paying attention now, I hope you realize how dangerous your support is for those in government who followed Trump’s assault on the last presidential election. Don’t you realize AMEX needs a fair, honest and orderly form of government as much as the rest of us?
Does anyone know of any banks that issue VISA or Mastercard that do not donate to those who voted against certifying the election?