Amazon, AT&T, Disney Paying For Abortion Travel Costs Had Also Contributed To Anti-Abortion Campaigns: Bloomberg

Amazon.com Inc AMZN, AT&T Inc T, and Walt Disney Company DIS, pledging to pay for employees to travel for reproductive medical care, had also contributed to the campaigns of anti-abortion governors, Bloomberg reports.

Republican Governors Bill Lee of Tennessee, Greg Abbott of Texas, Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, and Ron DeSantis of Florida sought to limit abortion rights.

Each governor received contributions from at least one of the companies or associated political action committees before the court’s decision. Lee and Abbott are facing re-election fights in 2022, Bloomberg wrote.

Also Read: The Companies Paying For Abortion Travel: Tesla, Zillow And Many More

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, leaving the availability of reproductive health care subject to differing state laws. More than half of U.S. states have banned or will likely restrict or severely limit abortion. 

Amazon agreed to pay up to $4,000 to cover travel costs to obtain an abortion or other care. But Amazon also backed the campaigns of top officials in states where abortions could become more difficult, including Virginia. Amazon Services LLC doled out $125,000 in 2021 to Youngkin’s campaign and $20,000 to Youngkin’s Democratic rival, Terry McAuliffe.

Other states, including Tennessee, will also likely bar abortions. Amazon donated $25,400 to Lee’s campaign and $23,500 to the state senate campaign of Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally from 2019 to 2021, Bloomberg noted.

AT&T has agreed to pay for employees to travel for care unavailable in their state of residence. Between 2020 and 2022, AT&T Texas PAC sent $165,000 to a political action committee aligned with Governor Abbott and $70,000 to a committee aligned with Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick or Republicans who supported abortion bans. 

In Florida, AT&T contributed $80,000 to Friends of Ron DeSantis, a political action committee aligned with the Republican governor and potential 2024 presidential candidate, in 2020 and 2021. In April, DeSantis signed a law prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. 

Disney agreed to cover costs for employees forced to travel to get an abortion. Disney Worldwide Services Inc contributed at least $100,000 to Friends of Ron DeSantis from 2019 to 2021.

DeSantis signed a law setting up a process to revoke the special tax status Disney enjoys at its Disney World theme park near Orlando shortly after Disney paused political contributions to Florida.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons