After Apple refused to back this election cycle's Republican national convention, a report on Monday claims CEO Tim Cook next week will host a fundraiser for sitting U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and other House Republicans.
As Apple does not field an in-house political action committee, Cook is hosting the fundraiser on his own accord, reports Politico. Money raised at the Menlo Park, Calif., event on June 28 will go to Ryan (R-WI) and a joint fundraising committee assisting with general House Republican election efforts.
With the fundraiser, Cook continues to court politicians on both sides of the aisle. In the past, Apple's CEO has donated to the campaigns of Barack Obama, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio).
Apple this past weekend told Republican party leaders it would not support the upcoming GOP convention in Ohio due to inflammatory remarks made by presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump. Ryan, too, has voiced concern over Trump's nomination, but is backing the flamboyant businessman in keeping with party lines.
Distasteful comments aside, Trump has taken aim at Apple's outsourcing strategy and unwillingness to cooperate with authorities in the aftermath of the San Bernardino terror attacks. For the latter, Trump called for a boycott on Apple products until the company agreed to cooperate with law enforcement agencies seeking access to an iPhone used by terrorist Syed Rizwan Farook.
73 Comments
That's
a smart business move.
Bribery will get you access. Access will get you anything. Wish I could buy congress people.
Might be a smart move, but seriously what is an adult gay man doing fundraising for a major Republican?
Paul Ryan's horrible and gross, but I suppose you have to grease certain palms to get what you want in this corrupt system.