As America approached the one year anniversary of a violent attack on the Capitol, UPS ramped up its donations to members of Congress who voted to reject the results of the election. At least seventeen members of the Sedition Caucus filed FEC reports in the final quarter of 2021 revealing that they received UPS money for the first time since the insurrection, according to an analysis by CREW. These candidate filings show UPS added more new Sedition Caucus recipients than any other major corporate donor. 

The members newly receiving support from UPS include Senator Rick Scott, who was one of eight senators who voted not to certify the results of the election, and Representative Andy Harris, who refused to apologize for his vote to reject the election results and objected to legislation awarding medals to police officers protecting the Capitol. Many of these members also sit on committees whose jurisdiction and oversight duties intersect with UPS, including two members of the House Appropriations committee, four on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, two on the House Committee on Science Space and Technology and three on the House Subcommittee on Trade. In all, UPS has now donated to 63 members of the Sedition Caucus, only one of whom—Representative Tom Rice—has apologized for his vote. Rice reported receiving the donation from UPS before his apology. 

Days after the insurrection, a UPS spokesperson said that the company had “suspended all PAC contributions for now.” Then, in April 2021, UPS joined other companies to call out Georgia’s restrictive voting law, saying that the company “[stood] ready to continue to help in ensuring every Georgia voter has the ability to vote.” By May, UPS resumed its donations to members of Congress who had voted to overturn the results of the election. Asked about the donations in July, the company said that “[e]ngagement with those with whom we disagree is a critical part of the democratic process and our responsibility in legislative advocacy as a company.” With these new contributions, UPS joins Koch Industries, Boeing and Valero as top donors to the Sedition Caucus.

By ramping up its donations and outpacing other corporations, UPS is showing its true colors as a company that cares more about access and influence than democracy. If the company truly wants to stand for voting rights, it needs to stop donating to the Sedition Caucus. We’ll be watching. 

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