DuPont announced Thursday it would pause political donations to federal candidates for office, joining the ranks of several major companies that have pulled campaign backing after the direct fallout of the riot in the nation’s capital.
“Due to the appalling mayhem and violence that occurred at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, DuPont has decided to suspend all contributions from the employee-run and funded Employees of DuPont PAC to candidates for federal office until July 1, 2021,” read a DuPont statement released on Twitter. “[We will] review and assess our criteria and standards for future contributions.”
The Employees of DuPont Political Action Committee is a non-partisan political action committee that is organized, managed and funded by contributions from DuPont employees. DuPont is a powerhouse not only in Delaware, but on a national scale as a lauded chemical manufacturing company. The PAC supports federal, state and local candidates, national political organizations and other PACs.
The Employees of DuPont PAC board determines PAC contributions, while all activity is overseen by the company’s legal department. Contributions are made without regard to party affiliation. But DuPont’s Political Accountability Policy of September 2020 notes that “candidates must also demonstrate “honesty, integrity, effectiveness and a commitment to good governance.’”
The Federal Election Commission reports that the Employees of DuPont PAC collected $96,702.65 and spent $108,489.52 as of Dec. 16. The largest donations to individual candidates included $5,000 to U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), both of whom were re-elected. It also donated $5,000 to Republican David Perdue’s failed Senate re-election bid in the Jan. 5 run-off election.
The PAC donated $4,000 each to U.S. Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Fred Keller (R-Pa.), both of whom were also re-elected.
