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Toyota defended its decision to donate $55,000 to 37 Republican lawmakers who objected to certifying the 2020 election results, telling Axios Sunday that they “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,” a spokesperson told Axios in an email. “We do not believe it is appropriate to judge members of Congress solely based on their votes on the electoral certification.”
In a report published Sunday, Axios found that Toyota donated more than any other company to election objectors. Its $55,000 in donations was nearly double the amounts compared to the two companies behind them in terms of donations to Republican election objectors (Cubic Corp. and Applied Research Associates Inc.).
Axios referenced CREW data which showed that 34 companies donated at least $5,000 to campaign PACs of one or more lawmakers
Following the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, many companies pledged to abstain from donating to individuals who objected to the certification of the election. While the vast majority of those who pledged to do so have stuck by their word, the Los Angeles Times found that some businesses including Cigna, AT&T, and Intel, “gave at least $75,000 to 37 Republican members of Congress who voted against certifying the election” results, despite their earlier commitment.
This post has been updated with additional information.