Oh, Walmart. Perpetually evil. Even after seven years, a 2015 story in Salon titled “10 reasons Wal-Mart is the worst company in America” remains an evergreen explainer worth sending to anyone wondering why so many people refuse to shop at the gigantic superstores famous for union busting and destroying the economies of any locale it invades.
Of course, there are far more than 10 reasons not to spend money at Walmart if other options abound, including the fact that this election cycle, the gargantuan big blue box store, via its 44-year-old political action committee (PAC), has supported a stunning 41 incumbent members of Congress who tried to help Donald Trump steal the 2020 election, Insider reported Monday.
It’s not surprising that one of the nation’s most glaring examples of capitalism run amok would place profit ahead of democracy, but it still stings.
What actually is surprising? Overall donations from the PAC are split almost evenly among Republicans and Democrats.
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Campaign Action
As Insider’s Ben Tobin and Madison Hall note, as recently as the 2000s, no Democrat would have expected to get a donation from the Walmart Inc. PAC for Responsible Government (WALPAC), which predictably supported the right side of the aisle for most of its capitalistic existence.
During the 2021-2022 election cycle, WALPAC has spread $956,000 among 250 candidates running for federal office as of October 19, according to FEC records. Of that, about 53% went to Republican candidates, and 47% went to Democrats.
All of the PAC's federal-level donations went to incumbents running for re-election.
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"We've long believed we can more effectively advocate on behalf of our associates, customers, communities, and shareholders by engaging with policymakers of both parties," the company said. "While our political contributions do not mean we support every view of an elected official, we will contribute to those who are focused on issues important to our business and key stakeholders."
Remember when all those big businesses ceased donations to politicians who supported the Big Lie? According to ProPublica, Walmart’s abstinence lasted just 390 days.
Walmart donates (and lobbies!) with only its bottom line in mind, whether that means supporting Democrats or those helping to destroy democracy. The goal of corporate giving and lobbying is and always has been to ensure friendly faces are on the many committees that oversee regulations that impact Walmart—remember, as the nation’s largest retailer, Wally World is a grocer, an employer, a pharmacy, a home goods store, a clothing store, an electronics store, and more, all in one monstrous building. A lot of congressional committees have the power to shape Walmart’s balance sheet, so it’s important for Sam Walton’s billionaire spawn (and those hired to keep them wealthy) to keep them in the retailer’s bright blue pocket—democracy be damned.
(Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Richard Neal, for example, is the chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee responsible for initial hearing of bills regarding taxation. And (Texas Republican Sen. John) Thune is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Finance's Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight, which has heard bills on how businesses like Walmart are taxed.
As Salon’s Chris Osterndorf noted in his 2015 list:
This is just a friendly reminder that Walmart is terrible. Call it a public service announcement: Don’t shop there. Don’t work there if you can help it. And if you do have to work there, don’t expect to be treated well. Get out while you can, before Walmart takes your spirit, your health, and your dignity.
If Walmart's ugly practices are a cycle of power and abuse, there's only one way to break it. And that starts with you.
There’s not much we can do to stop Walmart as individuals—particularly those of us with limited options, resources, mobility, or transportation—but we CAN vote for Democrats up and down the ballot, and do what we can to keep our hard-earned dollars out of reach of the Walton heirs.
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At long last, the 2022 midterms are almost here! With the battle for the House front and center, we give you a window into the key races on a final pre-election episode of The Downballot. We discuss a wide range of contests that will offer insight into how the night is going, including top GOP pickup opportunities, second-tier Republican targets, and the seats where Democrats are on offense. And with many vote tallies likely to stretch on for some time, we also identify several bellwether races in states that count quickly.