Political Contributions | Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

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<h4>Resolution Details</h4>
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<strong>Company:</strong>
<p>AutoNation, Inc.</p>
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<strong>Year:</strong>
<p>2025 </p>
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<strong>Issue Area:</strong>
<p>Lobbying & Political Contributions </p>
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<strong>Focus Area:</strong>
<p>Political Contributions </p>
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<strong>Status:</strong>
<p>Filed</p>
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<h2>Resolution Text</h2>
<p><strong>Resolved</strong>, shareholders request that AutoNation provide a report, updated semiannually, disclosing the Company’s:</p>
<p>1.    Policies and procedures for making, with corporate funds or assets, contributions and expenditures (direct or indirect) to (a) participate or intervene in any campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office, or (b) influence the general public, or any segment thereof, with respect to an election or referendum.</p>
<p>2.    Monetary and non-monetary contributions and expenditures (direct and indirect) used in the manner described in section 1 above, including:</p>
<p>a.    The identity of the recipient as well as the amount paid to each; and</p>
<p>b.    The title(s) of the person(s) in the Company responsible for decision-making.</p>
<p>The report shall be presented to the board of directors and posted on the Company’s website within 12 months from the date of the annual meeting. This proposal does not encompass lobbying spending.</p>
<p><strong>Supporting Statement</strong></p>
<p>Long-term shareholders support transparency and accountability in corporate electoral spending. This includes any activity considered intervention in a political campaign under the Internal Revenue Code, such as direct and indirect contributions to political candidates, parties, or organizations, and independent expenditures or electioneering communications on behalf of federal, state, or local candidates.</p>
<p>A company’s reputation, value, and bottom line can be adversely impacted by political spending. The risk is especially serious when giving to trade associations, Super PACs, 527 committees, and “social welfare” organizations – groups that routinely pass money to or spend on behalf of candidates and political causes that a company might not otherwise wish to support.</p>
<p>The Conference Board’s 2021 “Under a Microscope” report details these risks, recommends the process suggested in this proposal, and warns “a new era of stakeholder scrutiny, social media, and political polarization has propelled corporate political activity – and the risks that come with it – into the spotlight. Political activity can pose increasingly significant risks for companies, including the perception that political contributions–and other forms of activity – are at odds with core company values.”</p>
<p>This proposal asks AutoNation to disclose all of its electoral spending, including payments to trade associations and other tax-exempt organizations which may be used for electoral purposes-and are otherwise undisclosed. This would bring our Company in line with a growing number of leading companies, including ServiceNow Inc., Verisign Inc., and Western Digital Corp., which present this information on their websites.</p>
<p>Without knowing the recipients of our company’s political dollars AutoNation directors and shareholders cannot sufficiently assess whether our company’s election-related spending aligns or conflicts with its policies on climate change and sustainability, or other areas of concern. Improved AutoNation political spending disclosure will protect the reputation of AutoNation and preserve shareholder value.”<br> </p>

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<h3>Lead Filer</h3>
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<div class=”views-field views-field-nothing”><span class=”field-content”> John Chevedden</span></div><div class=”views-field views-field-title views-field-field-shareholder”><span class=”field-content”>Chevedden Corporate Governance</span></div>
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