BIG OIL MUST STOP POLLUTING OUR DEMOCRACY
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Oil and Gas Executives, Big Oil PACs Contributed $2.7 Million to Electoral College Objectors in 2020
Washington, D.C. – Big Oil has been a key source of funding to the Republican politicians who objected to certifying the results of the Electoral College, contributing nearly $9.3 million in campaign funds during the 2020 cycle to the objectors, according to Open Secrets.
Using Open Secrets and FEC data, Climate Power found that oil and gas executives and the corporate PACs for nearly 20 of the country’s largest oil and gas companies contributed a stunning $2.7 million in campaign funds during the 2020 cycle to these objectors — highlighting the toxic relationship between Big Oil and the Republican elected officials undermining our democracy.
In the wake of last week’s insurrection and violence in the U.S. Capitol, the impact of corporate money flowing to elected leaders who supported the effort to overturn the results of the election has come into focus, with many companies from a wide variety of industries pledging to withhold political contributions from those objectors.
“Big Oil must stop polluting our democracy by funding elected leaders who supported an insurrection designed to overthrow our government and disregard the results of a free and fair election,“ said Climate Power executive director Lori Lodes. “It’s time for Big Oil to turn off the spigot of campaign cash that helped fuel the shocking events that took place last week. These corporate polluters are already a grave threat to our climate and health, and now their financial support for these Electoral College objectors is a grave threat to our democracy and must end immediately.”
Some of the companies listed below, including Marathon, BP, and ConocoPhillips, are seeking to deflect blame from the objectors by initiating a pause of all political giving. Others, such as ExxonMobil and Chevron, merely offered a “review” of their spending.
