LAT: Leaked document offers glimpse into how Amazon amasses influence in the Inland Empire

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But this year, the Cheech hosted an exhibit that included a piece depicting an Amazon warehouse on fire. In an interview, the artist said the piece, titled “Burn Them All Down,” was not a call to arson, but instead a commentary on how public officials were not listening to community concerns about the growing number of warehouses in their Inland Empire neighborhoods.

Amazon saw the comments as being hostile toward the company. The e-commerce firm called it quits on future donations.

“We will not donate to the Cheech,” Amazon officials wrote in a leaked document that outlines the company’s plans for community engagement next year in the Inland Empire. “We will not continue to support organizations that did not result in measurable positive impact in our brand and reputation. Additionally we will not fund organizations that have positioned themselves antagonistically toward our interests.”

The leaked document reveals an extensive public relations strategy by Amazon to donate to community groups, school districts, institutions and charities in the Inland Empire and support sympathetic politicians to burnish the company’s reputation and ensure it is seen as “the most trusted community and business partner in the Southern California area,” according to the plan. The Times independently confirmed the authenticity of the document

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-12-05/leaked-document-offers-glimpse-into-how-amazon-amasses-influence-in-the-inland-empire

The leaked memo details how Amazon uses its influence over politicians and nonprofits to fight environmental and labor legislation.

ON EDIT: Yes, Cheech from "Cheech and Chong" has started a museum of Chicano art