Toyota is top donor to election-objector Republicans, defends contributions
WIESBADEN, HESSEN – DECEMBER 22: Toyota cars are offered for sale at a car dealership on December 22, 2008 in Wiesbaden, Germany. Today Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s second largest car manufacturer announed a 91 percent lowered net income forecast. (Photo by Ralph Orlowski/Getty Images)
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SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Toyota is the top donor to Republicans who did not want to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Just in the first half of 2021, Toyota gave $55,000 to 37 Republicans who objected to President Biden’s win, Axios reported.
The data comes from the left-leaning group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, whose numbers show that not only is Toyota the number one donor, but the auto company leads by a large margin – spending at least $20,000 more than the number two donor, San Diego-based Cubic Corp.
While Cubic Corp donated to eight election objectors, Toyota gave money to nearly a quarter of all 147 GOP politicians who objected to certifying the election results.
Other big companies that donated to election objectors include Koch Industries, AT&T, Cigna, Deere Company, Reynolds American, and Applied Research Associates Inc.
In response to the report, Toyota told Axios: “We do not believe it is appropriate to judge members of Congress solely based on their votes on the electoral certification.”
Toyota began trending on Twitter Monday, and replies to one of Toyota’s promotional tweets with the motto “Let’s go places” inspired a flood of critical replies, many including photos of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Toyota elaborated on the company’s donations in a statement to The Hill:
“Toyota supports candidates based on their position on issues that are important to the auto industry and the company. We do not believe it is appropriate to judge members of Congress solely based on their votes on the electoral certification. Based on our thorough review, we decided against giving to some members who, through their statements and actions, undermine the legitimacy of our elections and institutions.”
