Lobbying Expenditures Disclosure | Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

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<h4>Resolution Details</h4>
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<strong>Company:</strong>
<p>Amazon.com, Inc</p>
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<strong>Year:</strong>
<p>2025 </p>
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<strong>Issue Area:</strong>
<p>Climate Change, Lobbying & Political Contributions </p>
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<strong>Focus Area:</strong>
<p>Climate Lobbying, Lobbying </p>
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<strong>Status:</strong>
<p>Filed</p>
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<h2>Resolution Text</h2>
<p><strong>Resolved, </strong>shareholders of Amazon request the preparation of a report, updated annually, disclosing: Company policy and procedures governing lobbying, both direct and indirect, and grassroots lobbying communications. 2. Payments by Amazon used for (a) direct or indirect lobbying or (b) grassroots lobbying communications, in each case including the amount of the payment and the recipient. 3. Description of management’s and the Board’s decision-making process and oversight for making payments described in sections 1 & 2 above. </p>
<p>For purposes of this proposal, a “grassroots lobbying communication” is a communication directed to the general public that (a) refers to specific legislation or regulation; (b) reflects a view on the legislation or regulation; and (c) encourages the recipient of the communication to take action with respect to the legislation or regulation. “Indirect lobbying” is lobbying engaged in by a trade association or other organization of which Amazon is a member. Both “direct and indirect lobbying” and “grassroots lobbying communications” include efforts at the local, state and federal levels. The report shall be presented to the Audit Committee and posted on Amazon’s website. </p>
<p><strong>Supporting Statement </strong></p>
<p>     Full disclosure of Amazon’s lobbying activities and expenditures is needed to assess whether its lobbying is consistent with Amazon’s expressed goals and shareholders’ best interests. Amazon spent $141,680,000 on federal lobbying from 2015 – 2023. Amazon also lobbies extensively at the state level, and to its credit, reports its state lobbying.1 Amazon also lobbies abroad, spending between €5,000,000 – 5,499,999 on lobbying in Europe for 2023. </p>
<p>       Companies can give unlimited amounts to third party groups that spend millions on lobbying and undisclosed grassroots activity.2 Amazon lists support of $10,000 or more to 656 trade associations (TAs), social welfare groups (SWGs) and nonprofits for 2023, yet fails to disclose its payments, or the amounts used for lobbying. Amazon belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and Business Roundtable (BRT), which have spent over $2.3 billion on lobbying since 1998, supports SWGs that lobby like the National Taxpayers Union3 and Taxpayers Protection Alliance,4 and funds controversial nonprofits like the Independent Women’s Forum.5 Amazon’s disclosure leaves out TAs and SWGs that lobby, like the California Taxpayers Association, Silicon Valley Tax Directors Group (SVTDG) and Texas Taxpayers and Research Association.</p>
<p>     Amazon’s lack of disclosure presents reputational risks when its lobbying contradicts company public positions. Amazon strives to be the “Earth’s Best Employer,” yet had its lobbyists banned from the European parliament for refusing to attend hearings on worker violations.6 Amazon cofounded the Climate Pledge, yet the BRT filed an amicus brief opposing the Securities and Exchange Commission climate risk disclosure rules7 and the Chamber opposed the Paris climate accord. Amazon has drawn scrutiny for avoiding more than $1 billion in federal income taxes,8 the BRT has lobbied against a new minimum corporate tax,9 and the SVDTG lobbied against implementation of public country-by-country tax reporting in Australia.10 </p>
<p>     Amazon should expand its lobbying disclosure.</p>
<p>1https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/amazon-privacy-lobbying/.</p>
<p>2https://theintercept.com/2019/08/06/business-group-spending-on-lobbying-in-washington-is-at-least-double-whats-publicly reported/. </p>
<p>3https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2021/06/dark-money-groups-battle-efforts-to-limit-big-tech/.</p>
<p>4https://popular.info/p/donut-break-journalism. </p>
<p>5https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/27/amazon-donated-to-nonprofit-that-opposed-new-antitrust-bills.html. </p>
<p>6https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/23/amazon-tesla-meta-climate-change-democracy.</p>
<p>7https://www.eenews.net/articles/investors-question-business-roundtables-climate-rule-battle/.</p>
<p>8https://itep.org/corporate-tax-avoidance-trump-tax-cut-fdii/. </p>
<p>9https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/08/14/biden-corporate-tax/. </p>
<p>10 https://www.taxnotes.com/featured-news/pillar-2-concerns-persist-amid-australias-draft-intangibles-rule/2023/06/28/7gxkk.</p>
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<h3>Lead Filer</h3>
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<div class=”views-field views-field-nothing”><span class=”field-content”> Fr. Robert Wotypka</span></div><div class=”views-field views-field-title views-field-field-shareholder”><span class=”field-content”>Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order (Midwest Capuchins)</span></div>
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<h3>Co-filer</h3>
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<div class=”views-field views-field-nothing”><span class=”field-content”> Barbara McCracken</span></div><div class=”views-field views-field-title views-field-field-shareholder”><span class=”field-content”>Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica</span></div>
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