Facing pressure, companies bail out on GOP convention

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO

Donald Trump has promised to liven up this year’s Republican National Convention. But some of America’s biggest corporations are bailing on the party.

Apple recently became the latest company to give the GOP’s presumptive nominee the cold shoulder; it won’t contribute money or products to the Republicans’ big shindig in Cleveland this month. HP Inc. is also withholding support, while Microsoft is giving products only, not cash. Beyond the tech industry, Ford, JPMorgan Chase and United Parcel Service have opted to withhold support.

Most of these companies also are taking a pass on donating to the 2016 Democratic convention. In previous election cycles, though, several of them have given Republican organizers more – sometimes far more – in cash or donated products than they have the Democrats, making their pullback from the Republican gathering this year more dramatic.

WHY COMPANIES ARE UNEASY

The reasons aren’t completely clear. None of these companies publicly described its decision as a repudiation of Trump. Several declined to discuss their thinking, while others said their sponsorship plans were decided months before Trump emerged as the front-runner for the GOP nomination.

In many cases, however, their decisions became known after civil-rights groups launched a public effort – including billboards, letters and online messages – aimed at persuading companies to withhold support for an event celebrating a candidate who’s campaigned with incendiary proposals, racial rhetoric and harsh comments about immigrants and women.

Even so, Republican convention organizers say their fundraising is going well. More than 100 donors have contributed a total of $57.5 million, or about 90 percent of what’s needed, said Emily Lauer of the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee. She declined to provide a list of sponsors.

APPLE AND THE REPUBLICANS

Apple made headlines after Politico reported the tech giant won’t support the GOP convention because of Trump’s divisive statements. Apple declined to comment on its plans for either convention this year, although Lauer confirmed to The Associated Press that the company isn’t a sponsor for the GOP gathering. A spokeswoman for Democratic organizers declined to comment.

DOWN IN THE VALLEY

Another well-known tech company, Hewlett-Packard, gave a total of $1 million in cash and tech gear for the two previous GOP conventions. While organizers of the 2012 Democratic convention didn’t accept corporate cash, HP gave $100,000 to the Democrats’ gathering in 2008.

HP has since split into two corporations; neither is donating to either convention this year. Meg Whitman, the chairman of HP Inc. and CEO of spinoff Hewlett Packard Enterprise, has been a prominent Republican fundraiser over the years. But she has called Trump “a dishonest demagogue” and said his nomination would be disastrous for the party.

Not every Silicon Valley company has followed suit. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has criticized Trump’s proposal for a wall on the Mexican border to block illegal immigration. But his company said it’s providing “financial and other support” to both conventions. Google said it will be the official “livestream provider” of online video from both events.

Microsoft said in April that it’s providing tech products to both party conventions this year but will give cash – it hasn’t said how much – only to the Democratic event.

ELSEWHERE IN THE FORTUNE 100

Several other companies said they’re not supporting either party’s event this year. UPS donated more than $400,000 in cash and services to the GOP convention in 2012 and a similar amount to the Republicans in 2008, while providing $125,000 worth of donated services to the Democrats in 2012 and far less in 2008. Spokeswoman Kara Ross said her company decided last year that it wouldn’t give to either event in 2016, citing budgetary reasons unrelated to Trump’s candidacy.

Similarly, Ford Motor Co. says it decided to sit out both conventions last year, well before Trump emerged as the front-runner. JPMorgan Chase says it decided near the start of 2016 to donate money instead to youth employment programs in this year’s host cities.

Coca-Cola also has reconsidered its support.