Response of the giants to the question on political donations from the owner: “Of a personal nature”
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: In this screenshot from a webcast on congress.gov, Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) speaks during a House debate session to ratify the election 2020 Presidential at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory by Electoral College 306-232 over President Donald Trump. A group of Republican senators have said they will reject Electoral College votes in several states unless Congress appoints a commission to verify election results. (Photo by congress.gov via Getty Images)
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The Giants released a statement Thursday in response to questions about political donations made by principal owner Charles B. Johnson and his wife to Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., A first-term congresswoman who has been criticized for actions during and after the final week of attack on the United States Capitol.
“The San Francisco Giants strongly condemn the violence and events of the past week in Washington DC,” read the statement sent by a Giants spokesperson to The Chronicle. “Our organization has a long-standing policy that prohibits corporate campaign contributions to candidates for federal office. Individual contributions from employees and investors are considered to be personal in nature.
Johnson, 88, and his wife, Ann, each donated $ 2,800, the maximum amount allowed, to Boebert’s campaign ahead of the 2020 general election, according to Federal Election Commission documents. Johnson is a longtime contributor to Republican causes; Last year, an analysis by ESPN and FiveThirtyEight found that Johnson had donated nearly $ 11 million to Republican candidates and political action committees in the federal election since 2015.
Boebert has been the subject of criticism and calls for resignation after he tweeted about the location of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the Capitol siege on January 6. Boebert, who has expressed support for conspiracy theory group QAnon and has spoken openly about carrying his gun on Capitol grounds, also reportedly resisted new security measures on Capitol Hill this week, including passage through metal detectors.
In an interview with The Chronicle in 2018, Johnson said he made the difference between his political gifts and his role with the Giants. “Overall, I don’t like the idea of politics affecting everything I do with the Giants,” Johnson said.
Matt Kawahara is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: mkawahara@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @matthewkawahara
