Magnificence retailer Sephora has mentioned it didn’t make giant donations to President-elect Donald Trump‘s marketing campaign, after viral social media posts known as for a boycott of the corporate and different common stores over alleged donations.
In a press release, a spokesman for Sephora informed CBS Information it was conscious of “incorrect data circulating on social media,” and mentioned Sephora “doesn’t make company donations to political candidates. Sephora’s mission is to create a welcoming magnificence buying expertise for all.”
Requires a boycott grew after viral social media posts, together with one TikTok video with over 11 million views, alleging Sephora and different retailers donated to Trump. The video ended with the road, “I hope all of us perceive the task for this Christmas season.”
The person who posted the video didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Legal guidelines governing firm donations
The Federal Election Marketing campaign Act prohibits firms from utilizing normal funds from making direct contributions to candidates in federal elections.
Nevertheless, firms could arrange political motion committees (PACs) funded by voluntary worker contributions. Or corporations could make limitless contributions to Tremendous PACs which not directly assist candidates by way of promoting and advocacy.
Executives and different company workers could contribute as people to candidates, and details about donations as soon as a donor contributes greater than $200 are publicly accessible, in response to Brendan Glavin, Deputy Analysis Director of Open Secrets and techniques, a marketing campaign finance watchdog group.
“If you see these boycott lists, what you might be seeing is an aggregation of all the cash that workers of the group gave to the candidate,” mentioned Glavin.
Marketing campaign finance information point out that people related to Sephora’s guardian firm LVMH, a France-based firm with American divisions, donated $318 to Trump’s marketing campaign throughout the 2024 election cycle, in response to Open Secrets and techniques. By comparability, they donated a complete of over $35,000 to Harris’ marketing campaign. Overseas nationals are barred from contributing to federal elections, and solely LVMH workers who’re U.S. residents or everlasting authorized residents can legally donate.
Open Secrets and techniques evaluation additionally exhibits LVMH didn’t contribute to any campaigns by way of PACs in 2024. The U.S. subsidiaries of foreign-based corporations can legally type PACs funded by American workers or direct contributions to Tremendous PACs so long as no overseas nationals direct the contribution.
Sephora’s Americas divisions’ former chief govt, Jean-Andre Rougeot, donated solely to Democratic campaigns, FEC information present, and its present CEO, who took her place in April 2024, has not made political donations.
House Depot, Kohl’s and different corporations deny donations
Different corporations, together with Kohl’s and House Depot, additionally refuted social media claims of Trump marketing campaign contributions after requires boycotts.
A spokesman for Kohl’s informed CBS Information, “Kohl’s doesn’t make financial contributions to political candidates or campaigns, doesn’t assist political organizations, and doesn’t have a company-sponsored Political Motion Committee.”
FEC information present no political donations from Kohl’s CEO Tom Kingsbury this cycle. And total, workers and people related to Kohl’s contributed extra to Harris’ presidential marketing campaign than to Trump’s, information point out.
A spokesman for House Depot informed CBS Information, “The House Depot (and The House Depot Basis) doesn’t give cash to presidential campaigns or endorse presidential candidates.”
In accordance with FEC filings and evaluation by Open Secrets and techniques, the corporate and its affiliated PAC made no direct donations to Trump’s marketing campaign, Nevertheless, House Depot’s company PAC donated $270,000 to each the Nationwide Republican Senatorial and Congressional Committees.
General, workers and associates of House Depot appearing individually gave extra to Harris’ marketing campaign than to Trump’s, with Harris receiving $197,312 to Trump’s $115,858, in response to Open Secrets and techniques.
