One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Target Apologizes Over Donation to Anti-Gay Candidate, Some Still Angry
Photo by Chris-Gonzales90 via Flickr
Photo by Chris-Gonzales90 via Flickr
Following uproar over a large donation from Target to a anti-gay Minnesota candidate this month, CEO Gregg Steinhafel apologized Thursday to employees. He said the $150,000 donation was meant to be for Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer's business stance, not his anti-gay one.
"While I firmly believe that a business climate conducive to growth is critical to our future, I realize our decision affected many of you in a way I did not anticipate, and for that I am genuinely sorry," Steinhafel wrote, according to the Associated Press.
But that hasn't satisfied everyone, including West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman."... despite your claim that you were supporting a pro-business candidate, opposition to equality for any group in our society is ultimately anti-business," he wrote in a letter. Heilman suggested Target adopt a review policy on donations, which Steinhafel said will happen.
MoveOn.org on Friday staged protests outside Target stores on Friday and say they have a petition signed by 250,000 people who are boycotting the retailer, reported CNN. They believe Target, which is one of the first companies to take advantage of a recent Supreme Court ruling, is trying to buy the election.
Target's donation was made to MN Forward, which is airing ads for Emmer, who says his campaign is about job creation.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
