"SWEDEN: The connection between Swedish companies and U.S. Congress members who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election – Democracy, human rights and rule of law concerns," 17 April 2024

In this briefing... we identify one Sweden-headquartered company, and one Anglo-Swedish company, whose U.S. subsidiaries have donated directly to the campaigns of U.S. Congress members after they voted against certifying the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election... The source of information about the following donations is the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC). 

We communicated with each of the companies and trade associations below well in advance of this briefing, inviting them to respond to the publicly-available information about their donations to the campaigns of Congress members who had voted against certifying the election results. As of the date of this briefing, none of the companies had responded to us.

One trade association responded; the National Apartment Association (NAA) wrote: "Thank you for your outreach. NAA maintains a singular focus on the substantive rental housing policy concerns that impact our members and our political support is extended to those members of Congress who understand and support our perspective. While sound rental housing policy remains our primary rationale for support, we evaluate each contribution on a case-by-case basis." ...

Companies whose U.S. subsidiary’s Political Action Committee (PAC) donated directly (via disbursements between 7 January and 30 June 2021, according to the FEC) to the campaigns of U.S. Congress members who voted against certifying the U.S. presidential election results... Sweden-headquartered company: Elekta [and] Anglo-Swedish company: AstraZeneca...

Sweden-headquartered companies whose U.S. subsidiaries have a connection with U.S. trade associations whose Political Action Committee donated (via disbursements between 7 January and 30 June 2021, according to the FEC) to the campaigns of U.S. Congress members who voted against certifying the U.S. presidential election results

• AAK: AAK... is listed as a “Supplier Member” of National Confectioners Association (NCA)...
• ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions / Traka... Its subsidiary Traka is a multinational producing key access systems and electronic access systems. Traka Property Management (part of Traka) has a number of connections to the National Apartment Association (NAA),
• Skanska: Skanska is a multinational construction company. Its subsidiary Skanska USA is connected with two trade associations whose PACs donated [to]...,
• Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)
• Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)...

If any of the companies or other trade associations respond in the future, Donations and Democracy will update this Sweden briefing.