“United Kingdom: The connection between UK-headquartered companies/firms and U.S. Congress members who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election", 21 July 2025

The briefing identifies 24 UK-headquartered companies and firms whose U.S. subsidiaries or member firms have PACs (Political Action Committees) that have been donating directly to the campaigns of U.S. Congress members after they voted against certifying the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, votes held after the courts had ruled the election was fair. Those Congress members have been strongly criticized for attempting to undermine democracy by voting against certification. The UK-headquartered companies and firms connected with such donations to Congress members after they tried to overturn the election results include PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Grant Thornton, GSK (former name GlaxoSmithKline), AstraZeneca, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce Holdings, BP, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, WPP, Diageo, Bacardi (headquartered in UK overseas territory Bermuda), Rio Tinto, RELX, HSBC, Barclays, National Grid, and InterContinental Hotels Group.

The briefing also identifies UK-headquartered companies connected (directly or via their subsidiary) with U.S. trade associations whose PACs have donated to such campaigns. The UK-headquartered companies connected with trade associations that have been donating to Congress members after they tried to overturn the election results include Shell, Lloyd’s of London, Unilever (subsidiary: Ben & Jerry’s), Froneri (subsidiary: Häagen-Dazs), and Beazley. 

As explained in the briefing, when the PACs of companies or trade associations fund the campaigns of candidates after they voted to overturn results of an election which the courts had ruled was fair, this raises concerns about respect for internationally-recognized standards on free and fair elections, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Donations and Democracy had contacted all companies and trade associations mentioned in the briefing prior to its release.