Consumer guide and brand list for the top 20 Republican Party donors with consumer brands

The information used to compile these tables has been derived from the Open Secrets website. This US-based site publishes research relating to political donations in the USA since the 1980s. The table here only lists Republican donations calculated by Ethical Consumer magazine. The figures are complex totals that include cash as well as donations in kind, money from Political Action Committees and individual contributions from directors.

Figures for donations in the top 20 all refer to the combined totals of Republican donations from the companies during the 2002, 2004 and 2006 election cycles. Strictly speaking, it is not a list of the 20 biggest donors as only companies with consumer brands are included.

Brand ownership can vary considerably between countries. For example, as of spring 2007, Altria subsidiary Philip Morris was producing Shredded Wheat breakfast cereal in the USA, while Nestlé was manufacturing it for the UK market. Due to the complex nature of verifying brand ownership, we have only listed brands that are available in the USA and/or the UK, where most visitors to this site will come from.

Outside the USA or the UK, the brand names may not necessarily be used by the companies they are attached to here. However, the information should act as an alert to consumers seeing such brands in the shops. You may be able to confirm brand ownership in your country via the company's website.

Alternatively, you can contact the companies listed below directly to find out which, if any, of their consumer brands are sold in your country. If you choose not to buy a company's products in order to make a political statement, we recommend that you let it know. That way it will in theory be in a position to change its policy or behaviour in response to your views.

The brand list features a selection of each company's most popular products but is not comprehensive.

Alternatives and Best Buys
Ethical Consumer magazine produces buyers' guides that rate well-known consumer brands across a range of ethical criteria, such as environmental reporting, pollution, nuclear power, animal rights abuses such as factory farming and vivisection, workers' rights violations and presence in oppressive regimes and tax havens.

In the list below we have recommended alternative brands for those wishing to avoid purchasing brands owned by companies that donate to the Republican Party.

Read a sample buyers' guide.

More details about how we rate companies.

 

Company	US brands	UK brands
1. Bank of America Donations 2002-2006 $8,343,810 Contact details Bank of America Corporate Center 100 N. Tryon St. Charlotte, NC 28255 United States +1 212 880 5000 www.bankofamerica.com	Bank of America and MBNA financial products	MBNA credit cards, including WWF, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, National Trust and Chelsea, Man U and Liverpool FC, and Toys R Us storecard Alternatives Credit cards from the Co-operative Bank or Smile or from mutual building societies
Company	US brands	UK brands
2. AT&T Donations 2002-2006 $7,975,087 Contact details E. Houston San Antonio, TX 78205-2233 USA www.att.com AT&T provides various landline and mobile (cell) telephone services, Internet access and telephones and accessories in the USA, UK and worldwide.	AT&T telecommunications services	AT&T telecommunications services Alternatives Ethical Consumer magazine product reports have recommended Virgin for mobile phones, the Phone Co-op for fixed line communications and Greennet or Green ISP for broadband.
Company	US brands	UK brands
3. Verizon Donations 2002-2006 $5,467,170 Contact details 140 West St. New York, NY 10036 USA www.verizon.com	MCI/Verizon internet and telecommunications	MCI/Verizon internet and telecommunications Alternatives Ethical Consumer magazine product reports have recommended Virgin for mobile phones, the Phone Co-op for fixed line communications and Greennet or Green ISP for broadband.
Company	US brands	UK brands
4. UPS Donations 2002-2006 $5,357,501 Contact details 140 West St. New York, NY 10036 USA www.ups.com	United Parcel Services	United Parcel Services delivery Alternatives Parcelforce
Company	US brands	UK brands
5. Altria (formerly Philip Morris) Donations 2002-2006 $4,747,733 Contact details 120 Park Ave. New York, NY 10017, USA www.altria.com Altria no longer owns Kraft Foods brands	Marlboro, L&M, Basic, Virginia Slims, Parliament, Merit, Benson & Hedges, Lark, Chesterfield, Cambridge	Marlboro & Parliament, Alternatives Give up smoking!
Company	US brands	UK brands
6. Microsoft Donations 2002-2006 $4,642,897 Contact details 1 Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052-639, USA www.microsoft.com	Operating systems Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 1998 Alternatives Linux - download for free from www.linux.org Office suite/word processor Microsoft Office Alternatives Open Office - download for free from www.openoffice.org	As US
Company	US brands	UK brands
7. Citigroup Donations 2002-2006 $4,216, 193 Contact details 399 Park Ave. New York, NY 10043 USA www.citigroup.com	Citibank - various financial products including banking services, credit cards, mortgages and loans.	Egg and Citibank financial products including online banking, credit cards and ISAs. Citigroup own 80% of the Student Loans Corporation. Alternatives The Co-operative Bank offers current and savings accounts and credit cards. Savings accounts (including ISAs) are also available from Triodos and the Ecology Building Society. Mutual building societies can also be good choices for current and savings accounts and loans.
Company	US brands	UK brands
8. Federal Express Corporation Donations 2002-2006 $3,718,040 Contact details FedEx Corporation, 942 South Shady Grove Road, Memphis, TN38120 USA +1 901 369 3600 www.fedex.com	FedEx offers Federal Express postal, shipping and freight services to individuals and businesses, in many countries around the world including the USA and the UK.	FedEx offers Federal Express postal, shipping and freight services to individuals and businesses, in many countries around the world including the USA and the UK. Alternatives Parcelforce
Company	US brands	UK brands
9. General Electric Donations 2002-2006 $3,550,987 Contact details 3135 Easton Turnpike, Fairfield, CT 06828-0001 USA www.ge.com	GE and Hotpoint electrical products, Edison lightbulbs	GE Money consumer credit, storecards, car loans and bank cards, Ivillage women's website Alternatives Credit card and financial services from the Co-operative Bank and Smile, or from mutual building societies.
Company	US brands	UK brands
10. Anheuser Busch Donations 2002-2006 $2,989,543 Contact details 1 Busch Place St. Louis, MO 63118 USA www.anheuser-busch.com	Seaworld, Budweiser, Michelob, Rolling Rock	Budweiser, Michelob and Rolling Rock beers Alternatives Cannabia, Pinkus, Samuel Smith's, Vintage Roots Organic Beer, Black Isle, Brakspear
Company	US brands	UK brands
11. GlaxoSmithKline Donations 2002-2006 $2,761,921 Contact details GlaxoSmithKline plc 980 Great West Road Brentford Middlesex TW8 9GS United Kingdom +44 (0)20 8047 5000 www.gsk.com	Alli, Abreva, Alluna, BC Powder, Beano, Chap-et, Citrucel, Commit, Contac, Debrox, Ecotrin, Feosol, Gaviscon, Geritol, Gly-oxide, Goody's Powder, Hinds, Massengill, Nicoderm, Nicorette, Nytol, Oasis, Os-cal, Phazyme, Polident, Poligrip, Sensodyne, Sominex, Stanback, Super Wernets, Tagamet, Targon, Tums, Vivarin	Toothcare: Aquafresh, Macleans, Sensodyne, Alternatives: See the free toothpaste report on Ethical Consumer's ethiscore website. Painkillers and cold treatments: Beechams, Contac, Panadol, Solpadeine Alternatives: Many pharmacies will stock generic versions of these products. Ask your local pharmacist for details. For mild pain it can be worth trying alternative remedies such as herbal teas or relaxation techniques. Digestive remedies and other medicines: Gaviscon, NiQuitin, Nicorette, Nytol, Piriton, Tums, Zantac, Zovirax Alternatives: Many pharmacies will stock generic versions of these products. Ask your local pharmacist for details. Some people may also wish to investigate alternative remedies via independent herbalists or health food shops. Drinks: Horlicks, Lucozade, Ribena, Alternatives: For soft drinks, www.ethiscore.org recommended Santa Cruz, Free Natural, Purdey's, Tango, Whole Earth and Fentiman's For hot drinks other than tea or coffee, Equal Exchange, Qi, Dragonfly or Hambleden Herbs for herbal teas or Clipper, Equal Exchange, Divine, Traidcraft or Co-op own brand for hot chocolate or malt drinks
Company	US brands	UK brands
12. ExxonMobil Donations 2002-2006 $2,631,120 Contact details 5959 Las Colinas Blvd. Irving, TX 75039-2298 USA www.exxon.com	Exxon petrol and lubricants ExxonMobil credit cards.	Esso petrol, Esso and Mobil-branded lubricants Alternatives When Ethical Consumer magazine reported on petrol and diesel April 2007 we noted that if investment in renewables is the most important current comparative issue on which to rate oil companies, then BP should be the best buy. BP is however number 20 on our list of donors Sainsbury’s is the only supermarket believed to currently supply only BP petrol. Murco petrol stations, though few and far between, come out best on the table. See the full report on www.ethiscore.org
Company	US brands	UK brands
13. Chevron Corp Donations 2002-2006 $1,845,006 Contact details 6001 Bollinger Canyon Rd. San Ramon, CA 94583 USA www.chevron.com	Chevron, Texaco, Caltex	Texaco Alternatives When Ethical Consumer magazine reported on petrol and diesel April 2007 we noted that if investment in renewables is the most important current comparative issue on which to rate oil companies, then BP should be the best buy. BP is however number 20 on our list of donors. Sainsbury’s is the only supermarket believed to currently supply only BP petrol. Murco petrol stations, though few and far between, come out best on the table. See the full report on www.ethiscore.org
Company	US brands	UK brands
14. Bristol Myers Squibb Donations 2002-2006 $1,759,904 Contact details 345 Park Ave. New York, NY 10154-0037 USA www.bms.com	Enfamil infant formula, ChoiceDM diabetic snacks and footcare products, Expecta supplements for pregnant women	Enfamil infant formula Alternatives The last time Ethical Consumer magazine covered infant formula, the Best Buy was Hipp organic, followed by Cow & Gate organic.
Company	US brands	UK brands
15. Time Warner Donations 2002-2006 $1,697,684 Contact details 1 Time Warner Center New York, NY 10019-8016, USA www.timewarner.com	AOL, CNN, Cartoon Network, HBO, Warner Brothers, Time magazine	AOL- In December 2006 Carphone Warehouse acquired the UK internet access operations of AOL from Time Warner. However, Carphone Warehouse continues to operate a licensing arrangement with Time Warner for use of the AOL brand name. Alternatives Greennet or Green ISP Magazines IPC Media including Marie Claire, NME, Practical Parenting, Nuts, Loaded, TV Times, Woman. Full list from IPC Media. Alternatives Titles from Ink, the Independent News Collective, trade association of the radical and alternative press in the UK, including Ethical Consumer magazine.
Company	US brands	UK brands
16. General Motors Donations 2002-2006 $1,598,105 www.gm.com	Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Saturn, Hummer, Saab, Cadillac	Cadillac, Hummer, Saab, Vauxhall Alternatives Bicycles and public transport! Or G-Wiz Electric Cars, Honda or Toyota hybrids, Peugeot or Citroen.
Company	US brands	UK brands
17. American Airlines Donations 2002-2006 $1,309,504 Contact details 4333 Amon Carter Blvd. Fort Worth, TX 76155 USA www.aa.com	American Airlines	American Airlines Alternatives Not flying!
Company	US brands	UK brands
18. Disney Donations 2002-2006 $1.9 million Contact details 500 S. Buena Vista St. Burbank, CA 91521-9722, USA www.disney.com	Walt Disney and Disneyworld	Walt Disney toys, publications and films Alternatives Escor wooden toys, Lanka Kade toys, Green Board Games, Jumping Frog, George Luck Puzzles, Holz, Worton Cottage Industry toys Visit your local independent cinema!
Company	US brands	UK brands
19. Alticor (Amway) Donations 2002-2006 $744,812 Contact details 7575 Fulton St. East Ada, MI 49355 USA www.alticor.com	Nutrilite vitamins and supplements Artistry and E. Funkhouser cosmetics Espringwater treatment iCook pans L.O.C. cleaning products	Nutrilite vitamins and supplements Alternatives Viridian or Sage Organics Artistry and E. Funkhouser cosmetics Alternatives Dr Hauschka, Barry M, Lavera, Logona, Sante, Green People L.O.C. cleaning products Alternatives Bio-D, Clear Spring, Caurnie Soapery
Company	US brands	UK brands
20. BP Donations 2002-2006 $714,701 Contact details 1 St. James's Square London London, SW1Y 4PD, England United Kingdom www.bp.com	BP	BP petrol stations Alternatives Murco petrol stations, though few and far between, comes out best in Ethical Consumer's last report on petrol retailers. See the full report on www.ethiscore.org
Company	US brands	UK brands
Company	US brands	UK brands
Company	US brands	UK brands
Company	US brands	UK brands
Company	US brands	UK brands