Citizens United Aftermath: Target Donation Supports ‘Fiery Conservative’
Target has donated $150,000 to a group supporting a controversial GOP candidate for Minnesota governor, taking advantage of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling finding corporations have a First Amendment right to support political candidates.
The ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission had struck down restrictions on corporate spending on campaign ads in the days before an election. According to the Associated Press, the decision affected campaign finance rules in about half the states.
“Corporate donations have been flowing since the U.S. Supreme Court threw out parts of a 63-year-old law that prohibited companies and unions from donating to campaigns for or against candidates,” the AP story says.
Target’s money is going to help support state Rep. Tom Emmer in his gubernatorial campaign. AP describes him as “a fiery conservative who lauds Arizona’s strict approach to illegal immigration, once advocated chemical castration for sex offenders and wants to lower taxes.” He also opposes gay marriage, raising concerns among some of Target’s gay employees, the story says.
