Facebook will reportedly halt its political spending following last week’s attacks at the Capitol.
The social media platform will freeze the political contributions from its political action committee through at least the first quarter of 2021 and will be undergoing a review of its previous spending practices, Axios reported on Monday. A representative did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s inquiry.
Last Wednesday, President Trump urged his supporters to march to the Capitol and demand Congress not certify President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory. The violent pandemonium that ensued led to five deaths, countless injuries, a lockdown of the Capitol, and dozens of arrests, but it only temporarily halted Congress from certifying the Electoral College votes for Biden.
In the aftermath of the attack, several organizations sought to distance themselves from both the president for his role in instigating the melee and from certain GOP members for their roles in promoting unsubstantiated claims of election fraud and subsequently objecting to the certification.
Marriott International, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Commerce Bancshares, which donated to at least one of the nearly 150 lawmakers who objected to the certification of Biden’s victory, all said they are suspending their donations “to those lawmakers who voted to undermine our democracy,” according to Popular Information.
Blue Cross Blue Shield, which donated more than $10,000 to Sens. Tommy Tuberville, Roger Marshall, and Josh Hawley in 2020, all of whom objected, said that the “shocking assault on the United States Capitol, and the votes of some members of Congress to subvert the results of November’s election,” led the company to cease contributions to those politicians.
Marriott, which donated $2,000 last year to funds connected to Hawley, said it was “pausing political giving” to candidates who objected.
Commerce Bancshares said its employee-funded political action committee has “suspended all support for officials who have impeded the peaceful transfer of power,” but its PAC contributed $2,500 to Marshall in 2020. Citibank also said it would “pause contributions” to GOP members who objected and will “not support candidates who do not respect the rule of law.”
