More than a dozen US companies that signed a 2021 letter urging Congress to strengthen the Voting Rights Act are reportedly continuing to contribute to state political groups that are actively working to undermine the legislation. This finding comes from the Center for Political Accountability (CPA), a campaign finance watchdog.
Researchers at the CPA, a nonpartisan organisation, found that companies such as Airbnb, DoorDash, Target, and Zillow, which signed the letter, are contributing to 527 organisations. These groups are known for supporting key state races, according to data provided exclusively to the Guardian.
Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, long-time donors to these groups, had either stopped or lowered their contributions to Republican and Democratic groups for the 2022 midterms. However, they have resumed contributions for the current election cycle. For example, Google's contribution to the Republican Attorneys General Association (Raga) increased from $50,000 in 2022 to $325,000 so far this election, after being $100,400 in 2018.
Overall, Republican 527 groups have raised $240 million in the 2026 election cycle so far, while Democratic groups have raised $197 million. Corporate contributions account for 39% of Raga's fundraising and 33% of Republican Governors Association (RGA) fundraising this cycle, totalling $63 million for the two groups. Corporate contributions to their Democratic counterparts totalled $54 million.
Jeanne Hanna, CPA's vice-president of research, stated that a $100,000 contribution impacting a few state races can significantly influence state legislatures or Attorney General offices. She noted that while the numbers may not be as large as federal campaigns, the impact at the state level can be more significant.