Dear MoveOn member,
After promising it wouldn't, General Motors is donating tens of thousands of PAC dollars to members of Congress who voted to overturn the 2020 election results in an attempt to illegally install Donald Trump in the White House for a second term.1
GM thought we wouldn't notice.
We did.
And today, we're launching one of MoveOn's hardest-hitting and most provocative ads ever to hold GM accountable.
The ad, titled "Navigating to Treason," satirizes automobile ads, using mocking footage from GM brand Chevrolet's ads to announce GM's "2021 lineup" of politicians with "sedition-stoking capabilities and best-in-class disinformation spreading technology."2
We're launching the ad on digital platforms, focusing on people who like, follow, or work for GM. And unless GM ends its support of GOP seditionists, we'll blanket the internet with the ad to coincide with next week's Motor Bella car show, an outdoor replacement to the famous Detroit Auto Show. And we'll fly an aerial banner during the car show and drive around a highly visible billboard truck with the ad. With your help, we'll make sure GM has to pay attention.
Can you chip in $3 now to help more people see the ad and hold GM accountable for cozying up to GOP seditionists?
In the immediate aftermath of the January 6 armed assault on the Capitol by white supremacist Trump supporters, GM announced that it was pausing and reevaluating the candidates and entities it would support to "ensure candidates align with our core values."3
But already in 2021, GM has donated $72,000 to 12 representatives and senators who voted to overturn the election as well as to several party committees and leadership funds tied to those who did, including GOP Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's Leadership PAC and the National Republican Campaign Committee.4,5
No American company should be giving money to support a political party or elected official who actively sought to overthrow our democracy. Also, GOP elected officials follow the money, and cutting off the corporate PAC taps can be an incredibly effective way to restrain the extremism of the Republican Party and reduce the stranglehold of bigots and seditionists.
But it's going to take public outrage and bad press—which is precisely why we're launching this ad.
Our new ad concludes with powerful images of the insurrection and the deep voice of the narrator saying, "Now, we're back writing big checks to the people who objected to the election. Together, we're undermining the very foundation of American democracy, but we're making the bet that you don't know or don't care. General Motors: Navigating to treason."
GM was among nearly 200 companies that made similar commitments or went further to explicitly end contributions to the Sedition Caucus—members of Congress who voted to block certification of the 2020 election results. The majority of these companies have kept their promise and have not reinstated donations to Sedition Caucus members.6
In July, Toyota came under public scrutiny for a similar reversal of its post-January 6 policy, which prompted the company to clarify its policy and reinstate a ban on contributions to the Sedition Caucus.7 MoveOn will end the ad campaign if GM follows suit.
Despite flaunting its supposed "corporate citizenship," GM has also financially supported efforts to restrict voting rights as well as the sponsors of Texas's abortion ban.8
John, we need to hold GM accountable. Our ad is really good. Can you chip in $3 right now to help us put intense pressure on the company to stop supporting GOP seditionists who tried to overthrow our government?
Thanks for all you do.
–David, Kenia, Liia, Amanda, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "General Motors Suspends All Political Contributions For Now," GM Authority, January 13, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/154918?t=7&akid=306265%2E40999114%2E9rACQW
3. Ibid.
4. "This sedition is brought to you by…" CREW, June 23, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/154919?t=11&akid=306265%2E40999114%2E9rACQW
5. "Corporate Donations Tracker," Accountable.US, accessed September 13, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/157576?t=13&akid=306265%2E40999114%2E9rACQW
6. "The January 6 corporate accountability index," Popular Information, August 17, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/157580?t=15&akid=306265%2E40999114%2E9rACQW
7. "Toyota to stop donating to GOP lawmakers who objected to certifying Biden’s win," The Washington Post, July 8, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/157577?t=17&akid=306265%2E40999114%2E9rACQW
8. "The money behind the politics: These companies are top donors to sponsors of Texas' abortion law," Houston Chronicle, September 8, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/157578?t=19&akid=306265%2E40999114%2E9rACQW
Want to support MoveOn's work? The GOP is launching an all-out campaign to take down the Democratic majority in Congress and reinstall Mitch McConnell as Senate majority leader in 2022. To defeat the GOP, MoveOn is going all-in with TV ads, a nationwide grassroots organizing campaign, and more.
Will you chip in to power our effort to defeat McConnell and the GOP in 2022?
Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford.
PAID FOR BY MOVEON
This email was sent to John xxxxxx on September 14, 2021. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. MoveOn's privacy policy was recently updated. To read our new privacy policy, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.