Political Contributions – Trillium Asset Management

Trillium Successfully Withdraws Political Spending Transparency Proposal at Hess

March 25, 2014

March 25, 2014: Trillium Asset Management is pleased to announce that following our engagement with Hess Corp. (NYSE: HES) the company has committed to fully disclose its trade association memberships and the other tax exempt organizations which it makes contributions to, as well as the portion of those payments that are used for political activities. In recognition of this progress, Trillium has withdrawn its 2014 shareholder proposal at Hess. A similar shareholder proposal, filed by Trillium for 2013, received a remarkable 46% of the vote. We encourage the company to take further steps to strengthen its transparency and …

Political Contribution Disclosure – Yahoo! Inc. (2014)

December 17, 2013

Resolved, that the shareholders of Yahoo! Inc.(“Yahoo!” or “Company”) hereby request Yahoo! provide a report, updated semiannually, disclosing the Company’s: 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. Monetary and non-monetary contributions and expenditures (direct and indirect) used in the manner described in section 1 above, including: The identity of the recipient as well …

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

December 2, 2013

Resolved, that the shareholders of Motorola Solutions Inc. (“MSI” or “Company”) hereby request MSI provide a report, updated semiannually, disclosing the Company’s: 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. Monetary and non-monetary contributions and expenditures (direct and indirect) used in the manner described in section 1 above, including: The identity of the recipient …

Lobbying Spending Disclosure – Marathon Petroleum Corp (2014)

December 2, 2013

Whereas, Lobbying exposes Marathon Petroleum Corporation(“MPC”) to risks that could affect its stated goals, objectives, and ultimately shareholder value, and We rely on the information provided by MPC to evaluate goals and objectives, and we, therefore, have a strong interest in full disclosure of its lobbying to assess whether its lobbying is consistent with its expressed goals and in the best interests of shareholders and long-term value. Resolved, shareholders request the Board to authorize the preparation of a report, updated annually, disclosing: 1. Company policy and procedures governing lobbying, both direct and indirect, and grassroots lobbying communications. 2. Payments by MPC …

Political Contributions Report – Emerson Electric Co. (2014)

October 11, 2013

Resolved, that the shareholders of Emerson Electric (“Company”) hereby request that the Company 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 1above, including: a. The identity of the …

Op-Ed: Citizens United and the 2012 Election: Bad News and Good News

February 21, 2013

By JEFFREY CLEMENTS Make no mistake, the impact of the Supreme Court’s fiasco in Citizens United v. FEC on the elections and our government was even worse than predicted. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the forces of reform, led by the growing movement for a 28th Amendment to the US Constitution, also made a forceful showing in November. First, the bad news. There is a lot we will never know due to absence of adequate disclosure rules (the proposed DISCLOSE law went to the Senate to die in 2011). What we do know: Election spending came …

Political Contributions Report – CenturyLink, Inc. (2013)

December 10, 2012

Resolved, that the shareholders of CenturyLink, Inc. (“CTL” or “Company”) hereby request that the Company provide a report, updated semiannually, disclosing the Company’s: 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. Monetary and non-monetary contributions and expenditures (direct and indirect) used in the manner described in section 1 above, including: The identity of the …

Political Contributions Report – Hess Corporation (2013)

November 26, 2012

Resolved, that the shareholders of Hess Corporation (“Hess” or “Company”) hereby request that the Company provide a report, updated semiannually, disclosing the Company’s: 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. Monetary and non-monetary contributions and expenditures (direct and indirect) used in the manner described in section 1 above, including: The identity of the …

Institutional Investor: Institutional Investors Demand Disclosure on Companies’ Political Spending

June 7, 2012

Institutional Investor recently published an article about the growing number of investors who are pressing companies to disclose their political spending and Trillium’s shareholder proposals which requests that companies refrain from spending money from the corporate treasury for political purpose. Katie Gilbert writes, “Some investors say that requiring disclosure may not go far enough; companies need to altogether exit from political spending that’s funded straight out of the corporate treasury, they insist. This proxy season, socially responsible investment firm Trillium Asset Management filed the first shareholder proposal by an institutional investor that asks a company to completely refrain from channeling funds from …

As Citizens Protest 3M meeting, Investors Challenge Company Leaders on Political Spending

May 9, 2012

May 8, 2012 Contact: Mary Boyle – Common Cause (202) 736-5770 MINNEAPOLIS – Institutional shareholders and citizen activists challenged Minneapolis-based 3M Corp’s, political spending on Tuesday, urging the company to end its political giving and disclose its expenditures on lobbying. As investor representatives inside 3M’s annual shareholders’ meeting spoke in favor of two political spending measures on the company’s proxy, activists outside rallied in support of political spending reform at the manufacturing giant. “It’s time for 3M corporate leadership to stop using our company’s general treasury money as a political slush fund. There needs to be accountability,” said Mike Dean, …