The USCC has recently come under scrutiny due to a hefty donation from former Never Trump Rep. Peter Meijer’s (R-MI) father to the tax-exempt entity during his son’s 2022 primary race — which was received shortly after the entity’s endorsement of the former congressman.
According to The Hill’s Taylor Giorno, who first reported on the revelations based on internal emails, just days after USCC announced its support for Meijer in his primary contest against Trump-backed candidate John Gibbs on July 11, 2022, Hank Meijer wired $800,000 to the entity on July 15. Notably, Peter Meijer was one of only ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump.
Following this donation, the USCC purchased a $381,000 ad that portrayed Meijer in a positive light. The ad, however, did not explicitly advocate for his election or defeat; as such, the pro-business lobbying giant was not legally obligated to disclose its donors. Furthermore, it did not have to disclose any other potential contributions behind the $1.8 million spent on “electioneering communications” that cycle.
The ad’s “Purpose of Disbursement” states, “Media Advertisement — Energy and Taxes — Mentioning Rep. Peter Meijer.” While the advertisement does not directly call for voting for or against Meijer, it does offer a flattering perception of him.
OpenSecrets editorial and investigation manager Anna Massoglia emphasized the close proximity between Hank Meijer’s wire transfer and the chamber’s endorsement. The biggest question … would be what agreements, if any, are in place behind the scenes with this,” she said. Is this explicitly giving money for an endorsement or their support? Or was this a big coincidence that the timing was so close.
While the spokespeople for the USCC insisted the donation complied with all applicable laws, they did not answer The Hill’s specific questions about the timing of or discussion around the donation, the terms of the contribution, and how that money was used.
This is just one instance in a series of recent headaches for the USCC. In March, Breitbart News reported that the Soros-funded Tides Foundation had provided the Chamber of Commerce with $12 million between 2018 and 2022, sparking an investigation by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) into the USCC and its affiliated foundation in May.
Shortly after The Hill’s report came out, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) blasted the Chamber of Commerce on X as “a front service for woke corporations,” adding that it had accepted millions from a George Soros organization.