CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. | Political expenditures report at CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Status
22.01% votes in favour
AGM date
Previous AGM date
Proposal number
6
Resolution details
Company ticker
CHTR
Resolution ask
Report on or disclose
ESG theme
  • Governance
ESG sub-theme
  • Lobbying / political engagement
Type of vote
Shareholder proposal
Filer type
Shareholder
Company sector
Telecom
Company HQ country
United States
Resolved clause
RESOLVED: that the shareholders of Charter Communications, Inc. (“Charter” or “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 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:



a.
The identity of the recipient as well as the amount paid to each; and



b.
The title(s) of the person(s) in the Company responsible for decision-making.

The report shall be presented to the board of directors or relevant board committee and posted on the Company’s website within 12 months from the date of the annual meeting. This proposal does not encompass lobbying spending.
Supporting statement
SUPPORTING STATEMENT: As long-term shareholders of Charter, we support transparency and accountability in corporate electoral spending. This includes any activity considered intervention in a political campaign under the Internal Revenue Code, such as direct and indirect contributions to political candidates, parties, or organizations, and independent expenditures or electioneering communications on behalf of federal, state, or local candidates.

A company’s reputation, value, and bottom line can be adversely impacted by political spending. The risk is especially serious when giving to trade associations, Super PACs, 527 committees, and “social welfare” organizations – groups that routinely pass money to or spend on behalf of candidates and political causes that a company might not otherwise wish to support.

When the Conference Board released its 2021 “Under a Microscope” report8 it detailed these risks, and recommended the process suggested in this proposal. The organization also said, “a new era of stakeholder scrutiny, social media, and political polarization has propelled corporate political activity-and the risks that come with it-into the spotlight. Political activity can pose increasingly significant risks for companies, including the perception that political contributions-and other forms of activity-are at odds with core company values.”

Publicly available records show Charter has contributed at least $3.9 million in corporate funds since the 2010 election cycle.

This proposal asks Charter to disclose all of its electoral spending, including payments to trade associations and other tax-exempt organizations which may be used for electoral purposes – and are otherwise not public. This would bring our Company in line with a growing number of leading companies, including AT&T Inc., Comcast Corporation, and Verizon Communications Inc., which present this information on their websites.

Without knowing the recipients of our company’s political dollars, we cannot sufficiently assess whether our company’s election-related spending aligns or conflicts with its business strategy, corporate priorities, or other areas of concern. We urge your support for this critical governance reform.”

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