Microsoft Will Not Donate Money to Republicans’ Convention
Source: New York Times
Microsoft will not provide cash donations to the Republican convention this summer, the company announced in a blog post on Friday, following lobbying from liberal organizations that have sought to pressure potential event sponsors ahead of Donald J. Trump’s increasingly likely presidential nomination.
The company will provide only software and technical assistance to the Republicans’ event, while providing that and monetary support to the Democrats’. That represents a shift from 2012, when Microsoft provided a large cash donation to the Republican convention.
Fred Humphries, the company’s vice president of government affairs in Washington, wrote that the decision was made last fall, in consultation with Republican officials, suggesting that Microsoft is eager to pre-empt suggestions that it is reacting to Mr. Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric on immigrants and women.
“Based on our conversations with the Republican National Convention’s host committee and committee on arrangements, we decided last fall to provide a variety of Microsoft technology products and services instead of making a cash donation,” Mr. Humphries wrote. He added that “as we’ve explained to others, we’re not changing our planned activities for the conventions in 2016.”
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/04/29/microsoft-will-not-donate-money-to-republicans-convention/?_r=0
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