Political Contributions Disclosure – Motorola Solutions, Inc. (2014)

Outcome: 24%

Resolved, that the shareholders of Motorola Solutions Inc. (“MSI” or “Company”) hereby request MSI provide a report, updated semiannually, disclosing the Company’s:

1. Policies and procedures for making, with corporate funds or assets, contributions and expenditures (direct or indirect) to (a) participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office, or (b) influence the general public, or any segment thereof, with respect to an election or referendum.
2. Monetary and non-monetary contributions and expenditures (direct and indirect) used in the manner described in section 1 above, including:
   1. The identity of the recipient as well as the amount paid to each; and
   2. The title(s) of the person(s) in the Company responsible decision-making.

The report shall be presented to the board of directors or relevant board committee and posted on the Company’s website. Payments used for lobbying are not encompassed by this proposal.
Supporting Statement
Disclosure is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders, while gaps in transparency and accountability may expose MSI to risks that could threaten long-term shareholder value. The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision recognized the importance of political spending disclosure for shareholders when it said, “[D]isclosure permits citizens and shareholders to react to the speech of corporate entities in a proper way. This transparency enables the electorate to make informed decisions and give proper weight to different speakers and messages.”
MSI contributed at least $500,000 in corporate funds since the 2002 election cycle. (CQ: http://moneyline.cq.com and National Institute on Money in State Politics: http://www.followthemoney.org) However, MSI ranked poorly in the 2013 CPA-Zicklin Index of Corporate Political Accountability and Disclosure, which rated the top 200 of the S&P 500 companies, scoring just 47 out of 100 points.
Relying on publicly available data does not provide a complete picture of MSI’s political spending. MSI does publish an aggregate number for direct contributions and a list of trade associations, but without payment amounts. For example, the Company’s payments to trade associations or any “social welfare organizations” – organized under the 501(c)4 section of the IRS codes – used for political activities are undisclosed and unknown. At many companies, management does not know how third-party groups use corporate money politically. This proposal asks MSI to disclose all of its political expenditures, including payments to trade associations and other tax-exempt organizations. This governance reform would bring our Company in line with a growing number of leading companies, including Exelon, Microsoft, and MSI’s peer, Qualcomm, that support political disclosure and accountability and present this information on their websites.
The Company’s Board and its shareholders need comprehensive disclosure to be able to fully evaluate the political use of corporate assets.