WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans are concerned that a corporate reaction sparked by the deadly Capitol insurrection could hamper a vital flow of campaign money, complicating the party’s prospects of resuming the Senate in the next election.
The Republican Party already faces a difficult Senate map in 2022, when 14 Democratic and 20 Republican seats will be on the ballots. This includes at least two vacant seats that Republicans will defend because of the retirements of the Sens Republican Party. Pat Toomey from Pennsylvania and Richard Burr from North Carolina.
But some in the party say the problem may be bigger than the map. Eight Republican senators voted to reject Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden, even after the looting of the Capitol by a crowd of Donald Trump supporters who were urged by the president to prevent Congress from certifying Biden’s victory. Five people died in the chaos, including a Capitol police officer.
The recriminations were swift, with more than a dozen corporate giants – including AT&T, Nike, Comcast, Dow, Marriott, Walmart and Verizon – promising to withhold donations to Republican lawmakers who voted to reject the election result in Arizona or Pennsylvania. One of these legislators, Florida Senator Rick Scott, is the new chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a position that makes him the public face of Republican Senate fundraising efforts.
“This is the heart of the matter: is this a storm that is going to pass, or is it … challenging the certification of the Electoral College (of Biden) a scarlet ‘A’?” said Republican donor Dan Eberhart, who has contributed at least $ 115,000 to the Senate’s Republican efforts in recent years.
The lost contributions are not disastrous in themselves. Political action committees controlled by corporations and industry groups are limited to giving a candidate $ 5,000 a year, a slice of the typical fundraising amount for most Senate candidates.
But two senior Republican strategists involved in Senate contests say the cumulative effect of corporate decisions may have a greater impact.
Both strategists, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal party deliberations, say companies that have suspended political donations are also sending a powerful signal to their executives, board members and employees they should donate about. And with Scott in charge of the NRSC, it could affect the committee’s cash flow, they said.
To raise concerns, other pillars of the Republican Party’s fundraising – including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Rifle Association and groups linked to the Koch brothers – can no longer be counted on for strong financial support.
The NRA announced on Friday that it had filed for bankruptcy after years of wasteful spending and privileged negotiations by key leaders. The Chamber of Commerce, which angered some Republicans when it recently started donating to Democrats, announced this week that it will withhold contributions from some Republicans because of its actions. And the Koch chain has also announced that it will examine who will be responsible after the insurrection, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
“There are some members who, for their actions, have lost support from the United States Chamber of Commerce,” said Neil Bradley, the chamber’s director of policy, this week. “Our PAC will continue to support candidates who demonstrate this kind of commitment to democratic and governmental standards and our priorities.”
More worryingly, one of the most influential Republican megadonators, Sheldon Adelson, has died in recent days. This puts more pressure on the NRSC and the Republican Senate’s main external group, the Senate Leadership Fund, to bridge the gap.
Even before last week’s violence, Republican senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri drew widespread ire for leading efforts to challenge Biden’s victory. Since the attack on the Capitol, both have suffered even harsh criticism from editorial boards and influential donors, including resignations. Both are seen as likely candidates for 2,024 in the White House.
Then there’s Scott, a wealthy businessman and a former Florida governor. He also voted against Biden’s victory.
“Daily reminder, Senate Republicans chose one of the few senators who supported the big lie AFTER death and destruction on Capitol Hill to be their political leader,” tweeted former Missouri senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat who was overthrown by Hawley. “Rick Scott is responsible for the organization that tries to elect the R’s.”
Scott’s new position as president of the NRSC is widely seen as a prelude to a potential run in 2024 that will put him in close contact with a national network of the Republican Party’s biggest donors.
On Wednesday, Scott released a video message after taking on the NRSC that weighed on his biography and was light on his plan to help Republicans win. This angered some Republicans, who believe Scott took over the NRSC to help build a national donor network for an expected presidential candidacy, according to three Republican strategists.
“I won four state elections. All races were played. In the process, I raised a lot of money and spent a fortune of my own, ”said Scott in the video. “I can say this with confidence: I will never ask a potential donor to contribute more than I have already given.”
In a statement, Chris Hartline, NRSC spokesman and aide to the senator, said Scott was the party’s “best fundraiser” and that the committee “had no interest in getting involved with absurdities from DC consultants who have no no idea what they’re talking about. “
“Senator Scott made it clear that if people want higher taxes, more regulation, greater government and nationalized health, they should feel free to contribute to the Democrats,” said Hartline.
Some say it is too early to say whether the corporate reaction will really hurt Republicans. They note that, with the elections just held, this is a period when there is usually little fundraising activity. And some are confident that, as Washington comes under unified Democratic control, business groups will find common cause with Republicans once again.
“Much of this conversation is premature and short-sighted,” said Scott Reed, a former Republican strategist. “A multitude of re-regulation is taking over Congress and the White House. This is a decision that many will regret in the middle of the summer. “
The eight Republican Party senators who voted to support objections to the Electoral College count were Cruz, Hawley, Scott, Cindy Hyde Smith of Mississippi, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming.
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Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.