Corporate Influence Over Legislation/Regulation on Key Themes Affecting the Public Interest, Prompts

Some of the issues that attract significant lobbying dollars include efforts by pharmaceutical companies to protect drug patents resulting in higher drug prices; efforts on behalf of fossil fuel companies and heavy polluters to limit environmental regulation at the state and federal levels; and spending by firearms manufacturers to prevent sensible gun control legislation, among many others. [...] We are pleased to see a number of companies responding positively to these appeals resulting in withdrawal agreements and improved corporate responsibility on this issue.” Investors say the risks of corporate political activity are heightened in the run-up to a highly consequential national election. [...] “Given the stakes of this year’s elections, companies need to pay even greater attention to the impact and risks of their political spending,” said Bruce Freed, President of the Center for Political Accountability (CPA). [...] "CPA has several resources to help guide companies and their investors including Corporate Underwriters and the Democracy Gap which examines how company political spending has reshaped state politics and created serious risks for companies, shareholders, and our democracy, and our Guide to Corporate Political Spending and Guide to Becoming a Model Code Company which give management and directors t. [...] ICCR members urge companies to implement the Erb Principles for Corporate Political Responsibility and the CPA-Zicklin Model Code of Conduct for Corporate Political Spending which provide a framework for companies to approach and govern their election-related spending to ensure it is consistent with corporate values and the goal of supporting democratic institutions and the public interest.