From Slate, Aug. 10, 2004,....Last week, Jeffrey Brotman and James Sinegal, chairman and chief executive office of Costco, respectively, joined the list of executives who endorsed John Kerry for president....
So far this campaign cycle, Costco CEO James Sinegal has made campaign donations of $93,500 according to OpenSecrets.org—all of it to Democratic candidates and entities. Brotman has donated $38,250 in this cycle, again all to Democrats. In addition, Brotman and Sinegal have also given $95,000 apiece to the Joint Victory Campaign, one of the most influential of the anti-Bush527 committees, independent entities that can accept unlimited donations from individuals. Sol Price, the founder of Price Club, which merged with Costco in 1993, has given more than $44,000 to Democratic campaign causes this cycle.
Wal-Mart, by contrast, focuses its fundraising largely on Republicans. Jay Allen, Wal-Mart's senior vice president for corporate affairs, is a Bush Pioneer, meaning he's raised at least $100,000. Wal-Mart CEO Leo Scott has donated to the president's re-election campaign. Through July 6, according to Sheila Krumholz, research director at the Center for Responsive Politics, Wal-Mart—the company, its PAC, and individuals employed by it—have made political donations of $1.658 million. Of that, $1.34 million, or 81 percent, went to Republicans. While many corporate PACs hedge their bets and give to both parties in rough proportion to their control of Congress, "Wal-Mart stores appears to be a more ideologically aligned company," said Krumholz.