After Uproar, Target Tightens Rules on Political Donations

Last year's contribution to anti-gay candidate triggers changes
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 18, 2011 11:44 AM CST
After Uproar, Target Tightens Rules on Political Donations
Target is putting its political donations under tighter scrutiny.   (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

Don't expect Target to be making any more controversial political donations. The store has revised its policy and will put all future contributions through a much tighter review process, reports the Advocate via the Washington Blade. The changes come after the company enraged the gay community last year by donating $150,000 to political group MN Forward, which supported a gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota who opposed same-sex marriage. The donation prompted protests, boycotts, and an eventual apology from the CEO.

The chain is creating a "policy committee" of senior executives to review donations. As the company puts it: “These changes are really reflective of that perspective that we gained over the 2010 election cycle." Meaning it's a safe bet that any donations with even a whiff of controversy will be talked to death in that policy committee. (More Target stories.)

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