SNA (Atlanta) — The Toyota Motor Corporation recently found itself in the political hot seat after it emerged that it was the No. 1 financial donor to US Republican politicians who had refused to certify the 2020 election victory of Joe Biden.

In late June, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) issued a report on post-January 6 corporate donations to the so-called “Sedition Caucus,” the Republican lawmakers who refused to certify the presidential election and tacitly supported the cause of those who stormed the United States Capitol. It found that Toyota gave more than twice as much money to this group of lawmakers than any other corporation, domestic or foreign.

When it was publicly called out in late June, Toyota’s first instinct was to defend its funding choices, stating, “We do not believe it is appropriate to judge members of Congress solely based on their votes on the electoral certification.”

This stance, in turn, created a wave of disgust from both left-leaning and establishment commentators.

MSNBC commentator Joy Reid ran an edition of her “The Absolute Worst” television segment directly targeting the Japanese automaker.

“If it’s not appropriate to judge politicians based on them not accepting the basic tenets of American democracy, then when would it be appropriate?” Reid demanded. “For officially caring more about cozying up to power no matter how seditious than about America continuing to be a democracy, Toyota, you are tonight’s Absolute Worst.”

The public hammering did not end there.

In early July, The Lincoln Project, a political action committee formed in late 2019 by former and present Republicans who oppose Donald Trump, produced a video raking Toyota over the coals.

“Why would Toyota support politicians who tried to overthrow the very system that has been so profitable for them?” the video’s narrator asked. “Toyota is No. 1 at finding ways to financially reward the very party that took our nation to the brink on January 6th, helping finance a movement that violently sought to take votes away from American customers, not to mention Toyota’s own employees.”

Toyota surrendered almost immediately after The Lincoln Project video was released, issuing a press release stating that the firm would henceforth cease all donations to the Congressional Republicans who had refused to certify the presidential election.

“Toyota is committed to supporting and promoting actions that further our democracy,” the statement began. “Our company has long-standing relationships with Members of Congress across the political spectrum, especially those representing our US operations. Our bipartisan PAC equally supports Democrats and Republicans running for Congress. In fact, in 2021, the vast majority of the contributions went to Democrats and Republicans who supported the certification of the 2020 election. We understand that the PAC decision to support select Members of Congress who contested the results troubled some stakeholders.”

Foreign corporations or US subsidiaries of foreign-based corporations have contributed millions of dollars to US politicians since the notorious Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court decision in 2010 opened the floodgates for all varieties of corporate money to flow into national politics.

Toyota has been among the most aggressive foreign companies in taking advantage of this campaign finance framework, contributing more than US$1.7 million directly to US politicians in the 2020 election cycle alone. Toyota also routinely ranks within the top hundred corporations in the United States in terms of hiring Washington lobbyists to secure its legislative objectives.

Since 2012, Toyota’s donations have favored the Republican Party in all election cycles except the most recent one.

Below are links to both the Joy Reid segment on MSNBC and The Lincoln Project advertisement.

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