Tech

Google will stop donating to members of Congress who voted against certifying the US election result

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Sen. Ted Cruz was previously backed by Google. Erin Schaff-Pool/Getty Images
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Google says it will not donate to members of Congress this cycle who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 US election.

Last week, Google and a host of other leading tech players, including Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft, announced they would suspend donations to politicians who voted against certifying Joe Biden's presidential victory, citing the storming of the US Capitol, which left five people dead.

"After the disturbing events at the Capitol, NetPAC paused all contributions while undertaking a review," a Google representative told Insider.

"Following that review, the NetPAC board has decided that it will not be making any contributions this cycle to any member of Congress who voted against certification of the election results."

Google did not immediately respond to a request from Insider for further comment.

Google's political action committee previously donated to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, but the 2016 presidential hopeful has faced a backlash after leading the objection to the Electoral College certification.

Are you a current or former Googler with more to share? You can contact this reporter securely using the encrypted messaging app Signal (+447801985586) or email (mcoulter@bjinnox.com). Reach out using a non-work device.

Cruz's own staffers are said to be "disgusted" by his actions, which include peddling election misinformation and sending out a fundraising email while a mob of President Donald Trump's supporters breached the Capitol.

Walmart and Morgan Stanley are among the other household names that have cut off political funding to the 147 GOP lawmakers who voted against certifying the results in one or more states that voted for Biden.

Hallmark went a step further, asking Republican Sens. Josh Hawley and Roger Marshall, who both voted against Biden's certification, to refund its political donations.

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Martin Coulter was a technology reporter based in London.  He primarily covered Google, as well as Europe's buzziest tech startups, with a focus on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.   Martin also reported on other parts of the technology industry including venture capital, disinformation, and regulation. He was also previously a technology reporter at the Financial Times.  DeepMind's cofounder was placed on leave after employees complained about bullying and humiliation for years. Then Google made him a VP. DeepMind's protein-folding breakthrough triggers fierce debate among skeptical scientists: 'Until they share their code, nobody in the field cares' An ex-Uber exec whose new freight startup is backed by Jeff Bezos and Eric Schmidt has been accused of fraud in a California lawsuit Inside Dominic Cummings' wild scheme to build a British Google via a no-deal Brexit: 'It's a bit of a simplistic way of thinking about technology'