Ashley Gold
AxiosTue, 26 Jan 2021 00:01 UTC
© Stefani Reynolds/Pool/AFP via Getty ImagesSen. Ted Cruz led the group of Republicans who opposed certifying the results.
Google will not make contributions from its political action committee this cycle to any member of Congress who voted against certifying the results of the presidential election, following the
deadly Capitol riot.
Several major businesses paused or pulled political donations following the events of Jan. 6, when pro-Trump rioters, riled up by former President Trump, stormed the Capitol on the day it was to certify the election results.
- Facebook also paused its political donations and is reviewing its policies.
- Microsoft paused its PAC as well. It said Sunday it will decide by Feb. 15 after soliciting employee feedback about whether it will continue stopping donations to members of Congress who voted against certifying the election results.
"After the disturbing events at the Capitol, NetPAC paused all contributions while undertaking a review. Following that review, the NetPAC board has decided that it will not be making any contributions this cycle to any member of Congress who voted against certification of the election results," said José Castañeda, a Google spokesperson.
Other companies that announced a pause in political donations following the riot will have to announce next steps.
Comment: Meanwhile, the DOJ is investigating itself over whether any of its employees tried to help Trump.
From RT:
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is probing whether any current or former official tried to help overturn President Joe Biden's election victory, apparently seeking to root out employees who lack loyalty to the new regime.
The investigation, announced by Inspector General Michael Horowitz on Monday, will be limited to current or former employees of the DOJ. Horowitz said he aims to "reassure the public that an appropriate agency is investigating the allegations."
Former President Donald Trump has been accused of trying to get the DOJ to take legal action to help overturn Biden's victory, based on his allegations of massive election fraud, but any appeal for help was apparently unsuccessful. In fact, ABC News host George Stephanopoulos and other media figures have cited a DOJ statement that there was no evidence of widespread election fraud as a talking point in their efforts to dismiss Trump's allegations as preposterous.
"The Department of Justice, led by William Barr, said there was no widespread evidence of fraud," Stephanopoulos said Sunday in an interview with Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky). "Can't you just say the words, 'This election was not stolen.'"
The New York Times said on Friday that DOJ lawyer Jeffrey Clark plotted with Trump to oust acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and try to force Georgia lawmakers to overturn the state's election results. Like a steady stream of other anti-Trump articles by the newspaper, the story was based on comments by officials who declined to be identified.
The investigation marks the latest inquiry by the new Biden-led government into alleged wrongdoing by the Trump administration. The House this month voted to impeach Trump for a second time, and the Senate will hold a trial seeking to convict the former president even as it juggles with confirmation hearings and trying to push through Biden's legislative agenda.
The DOJ not only declined to launch the sort of comprehensive election fraud investigation that Trump sought, but also chose to keep probes involving Biden's son, Hunter Biden, from public view until after the election.
In case there was any doubt as to which team the DOJ is playing for.
Comment: Meanwhile, the DOJ is investigating itself over whether any of its employees tried to help Trump. From RT: In case there was any doubt as to which team the DOJ is playing for.