Travel Companies Suspend Donations to Certain Lawmakers After Capitol Violence

Marriott International Inc. and Airbnb are among other major corporations that are withholding political donations to lawmakers who voted against the certification of President-elect Joe Biden.

“We have taken the destructive events at the Capitol to undermine a legitimate and fair election into consideration and will be pausing political giving from our Political Action Committee to those who voted against certification of the election,” Marriott spokeswoman Connie Kim said in a statement.

The decision comes after Marriott CEO Arne Sorensen condemned the violence in the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

“I recognize that we have associates who have very different views on the results of this election and the direction of the United States,” Sorenson wrote in an open letter on Marriott’s website. “We serve guests who also have a wide range of opinions and perspectives. In the U.S., we can use our voice and our vote to share our views. But what we can’t do is trample the Constitution; we can’t use violence and terror to force an agenda. It’s not who we are—and I would offer, it’s not what the vast majority of Americans want.”

Airbnb is also taking action. The company released a statement regarding political action committee donations that said the following:

“We have taken the destructive events at the Capitol to undermine a legitimate and fair election into consideration and will be pausing political giving from our Political Action Committee to those who voted against certification of the election,” Marriott spokeswoman Connie Kim said.

Other major corporations have taken similar actions, including Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Microsoft and Facebook.