Senate

Marriott to cut off donations to Republicans who opposed Electoral College count after riot

by Joseph Choi - 01/10/21 4:05 PM ET

The Marriott hotel chain will be suspending donations to the GOP senators who objected to certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory.

“We have taken the destructive events at the Capitol to undermine a legitimate and fair election into consideration and will be pausing political giving from our Political Action Committee to those who voted against certification of the election,” Bloomberg reported spokespeople for the hotel told the political publication Popular Information.

Republican Sens. Josh Hawley (Mo.) and Ted Cruz (Texas) were among those who objected to certifying the Electoral College results on Wednesday.

Democrats and some Republicans have blamed them for contributing to the misinformation that ultimately incited rioters to storm the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in a bid to stop Congress from counting the electoral votes. Five people are confirmed dead in the Capitol breach.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association also said it would be suspending contributions to lawmakers who “voted to undermine our democracy.”

These announcements are the latest in a growing number of condemnations against the objecting lawmakers. Fellow lawmakers have called for them to be impeached or to resign. One of Hawley’s major donors, Missouri businessman David Humphreys, who contributed millions to Hawley’s first campaign, disavowed the senator on Thursday, calling him a “political opportunist.”

On Wednesday, soon after the Capitol was breached by violent pro-Trump rioters, the CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, Jay Timmons, implored Vice President Pence to “seriously consider” invoking the 25th Amendment.

“Armed violent protestors who support the baseless claim by outgoing president Trump that he somehow won an election that he overwhelmingly lost have stormed the U.S. Capitol today, attacking police officers and first responders, because Trump refused to accept defeat in a free and fair election,” said Timmons on Wednesday.