BP employee PAC pauses contributions for 6 months

Oil company British Petroleum (BP) will pause political contributions made through its employee political action committee for six months, joining a wave of other companies pausing some or all political spending in the wake of an attack by Trump supporters on the Capitol last week. 

BP America said in a tweet on Monday that the company will “reevaluate its criteria for candidate support” during the six month period of halted contributions. 

The bp employee political action committee will pause all contributions for six months. During this time the PAC will reevaluate its criteria for candidate support.

— bp America (@bp_America) January 11, 2021

The PAC has donated to both Republicans and Democrats over the years, though it has consistently given more money to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets. 

The OpenSecrets database shows that candidates who have recently received donations from the committee are lawmakers who objected to some states’ Electoral College votes being certified including Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Kennedy (R-La.). 

While some companies are specifically pausing donations to lawmakers who opposed certifying the election, the BP PAC is apparently pausing its contributions to all candidates for the time being. 

The violent event at the Capitol last week left at least five people dead. Three House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment Monday against President Trump, charging him with inciting a mob of his supporters to carry out a violent attack on the Capitol in a big to overturn Joe Biden’s election victory.