PepsiCo Inc. is facing another possible boycott over politics over a $15,000 donation for the Texas Republican Party.
Advocates for the right to abortion announce alarms that the cash donation, made on August 5. Pepsi claims it donated the money in 2020, but the state party didn’t make their check till the following year. According to the state ethics commission’s records, it was almost three months before Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law an act that banned most abortions within the state.
The donation was first made public in a newsletter published on January 24 known as Popular Information by journalist Judd Legum. The publication highlighted the contributions made by corporations like AT&T Inc., Walmart Inc., Ford Motor Co., and Zillow Group Inc. The newsletter also highlighted the most significant corporate donors to lawmakers who supported S.B. 8, including AT&T and CVS Health Corp.
However, this is PepsiCo Inc. which is the manufacturer of drinks and snacks, which has sparked a lot of criticism, particularly after author E. Jean Carroll trumpeted the news release via Twitter in two tweets, calling the gift “ANOTHER reason to stop drinking Pepsi.” Other users have resurfaced a Pepsi campaign highlighting its women-focused employee resource group. Popular Information recalled a Pepsi campaign on Twitter on March 1, 2021, the day of Women’s History Month.
A PepsiCo spokesperson stated in an announcement for Bloomberg. The firm typically contributes to several states’ parties which are Democratic and Republican, during the presidential conventions, and the check for $15,000 it made in 2020 didn’t get paid until August 2021. The company also said that it hadn’t donated to either party in Texas since 2020.
The company announced in April of 2021 that Pepsi announced a donation of $15,000 to the Texas Republican Party on its 2020 report of corporate political contributions.
The company’s shares fell 1percent up to $171.34 at the close day on the market on Tuesday.
It was reported that the PepsiCo contributions were the second-highest contribution that the Texas Republican Party reported receiving between July 31 and December 31 the previous year. The party didn’t promptly respond to clarify why it had not cashed the check until 2020.
Melanie D’Arrigo, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House seat, on Twitter declared that the donations are proof of the idea that “corporations are not people and they are not our friends.”
“Unfortunately, it happens on both sides of the aisle,” D’Arrigo told reporters. “I think we’re starting to see a divide between politicians bought and paid for by corporations and politicians fighting for people and coming from the grassroots.”
Between July 31 and December 31, PepsiCo also donated $10,000 for the Texas Black Legislative Caucus, $25,000 to the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, and $1250 towards Annie’s List. This political group is dedicated to the election of progressive women.
PepsiCo announced $77 billion in sales during the year that ended in September.
The hashtag #BoycottPepsi, and the calls to boycott the products it creates, occur just a few days before the company’s scheduled to broadcast the annual halftime program at the Super Bowl.
The second time within the last six years that Pepsi has been involved in political controversy. In December of 2016, Trump supporters Donald Trump threatened to boycott PepsiCo due to fabricated statements attributed to Indra Nooyi, the company’s chief executive.