INFO - INDIRECT CONNECTION VIA TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

Trade associations are industry lobby groups that represent companies and are funded by them. 

As noted on the homepage of this website, we are identifying two separate categories of foreign-headquartered companies: 

• Direct connection: Companies whose U.S. subsidiaries' PACs  (Political Action Committees) have made direct donations to the campaigns of U.S. Congress members after they voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election
•  Indirect connection: Companies/subsidiaries that are currently or recently members, sponsors, "partners", or otherwise associated with trade associations whose PACs have made donations to the campaigns of one or more of those politicians after they voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The role that "industry partners" or "corporate sponsors" play in trade associations varies. In most cases they are either dues-paying members of the association or non-members that help fund the association, or they at least pay to be a sponsor -- the general rule is that such dues and funding can be used to cover overhead expenses of the trade association's PAC, including staff salaries, fundraising expenses and administrative costs, as explained here. At some associations, executives of industry partners serve on the trade association’s committees. Sometimes executives or employees of industry partners or corporate sponsors donate directly to the association's PAC. Even in those cases when industry partners and corporate sponsors are not formal members of an association, and even in those cases where none of their executives or employees have donated to the association's PAC, industry partners and corporate sponsors enhance the association’s reputation, which likely encourages increased membership and increased funding for the association and its PAC.

See also the following section of our website: INFO - PACs (Political Action Committees)