Microsoft confirms political donations hold amid review of lawmakers who challenged election results

Microsoft is halting political donations while reviewing whether to further suspend donations to lawmakers who voted against the certification of the election results, the company has publicly confirmed.

Microsoft said in the Sunday announcement that it will announce its final decision about a suspension of donations by Feb. 15, after completing discussions with employees. 

“As Microsoft executives have said internally to employees, this is not a normal year. The company believes that opposition to the Electoral College undermined American democracy and should have consequences,” the company said in a blog post.

Microsoft President Brad Smith internally announced the decision to employees on Jan. 8. 

Smith told employees the company found over the past four years that 20 percent of its donations had gone to members of Congress who voted against the election results, while 80 percent went to members who upheld the Electoral College results.

He also noted that the company typically pauses donations at the beginning of every new Congress, but given the unprecedented nature of the situation would be taking the additional steps and extended pause. 

“The heart of this is really to have a series of virtual meetings with employees, because I think it’s important to get employee feedback and have a conversation together before these decisions are made,” Smith said, according to a copy of his remarks shared by Microsoft. 

Microsoft is among a growing list of tech companies that have announced they will pause political spending after the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6. A mob of former President Trump supporters stormed the Capitol as Congress sought to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. 

Trump and some of his GOP allies had amplified false claims that the November election was stolen ahead of the riot.