Revamped Index Reveals What Companies Like Comcast, Urban Outfitters Spend in Politics
Comcast scored high on the CPA-Zicklin Index for its political spending disclosure. Photo by John Murdock via Instagram
Finally, an end to the mysterious realm of political “dark money” is near.
Okay, maybe not entirely. But a revamped index may offer a step in that direction.
The updated 2015 CPA-Zicklin Index, for the first time, gives a comprehensive breakdown of how every company in the S&P 500 spends money in politics, including donations at the federal and state levels and company policies regarding such contributions, the Inquirer reports.
The 2015 index includes Comcast, which had the highest rating for Philadelphia-based companies in the index at 81.4 out of 100, and Urban Outfitters, scraping the bottom at a rating of zero. Companies were rated based on their transparency and oversight practices. In the region, Hershey Co. and and Allentown-based Air Products and Chemicals Inc. boast some of the highest ratings, 86 and 83 respectively.
The index, produced in 2009 by the Center for Political Accountability in conjunction with the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics at The Wharton School, provides a method to measure progress on openness about contributions and political activity of U.S. companies. A recent report from the company says that more and more companies are adopting restrictions and policies on political spending. And amidst the 2016 election and following the 2010 Citizens United ruling, the need for political spending disclosure and accountability is heightened, the company says.
The average overall score for all companies improved from 38 in 2012 to 59 in 2015.
Comcast’s largest 2014 donations included $367,000 to the Republican Party of Florida, $250,000 to the Democratic Governors Association, and $255,000 to the Republican Governors Association, the Inquirer reports. In Pennsylvania, Comcast’s donations included $50,000 to Tom Wolf for Governor, $10,000 to Bob Brady for Congress, $17,000 to Friends of Dominic Pileggi, $15,000 to Friends of Joe Scarnati, and $16,000 to the Mike Turzai Leadership Fund.
