New Balance Walks Back Chairman's Pro-Romney Contribution Over Anti-Gay Marriage Pledge

WASHINGTON -- The shoe company New Balance has issued a statement distancing itself from a controversy over a $500,000 contribution from the company's chairman, Jim Davis, to a pro-Mitt Romney Super PAC, Restore Our Future.

The statement appeared on Wednesday afternoon on the New Balance website:

A letter from our CEO:

Dear New Balance associates, customers and consumers:

Earlier this year, a private donation was made by our Chairman to a political action committee that is affiliated with Mitt Romney. First, let me be clear that this was a private donation and not a contribution from New Balance. We encourage civic engagement at all levels and will always respect the right of any of our associates to engage in the political process as they see fit. We typically do not comment on private political donations; however, this situation is different.

Mr. Romney recently signed a pledge that challenges same sex marriage and that has offended many including those in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Mr. Romney's position on this issue is not reflective of Jim Davis', my or New Balance's position and support of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered community. As a company, New Balance embraces the differences in all people and we work tirelessly to create and sustain an environment where everyone - our associates, consumers, customers and guests - are treated with dignity and respect.

Sincerely,

Rob DeMartini
President/CEO

The statement comes after the website Change.org ran a petition demanding to know whether New Balance stood behind the contribution made by the company's chairman. The Change.org petition received 2,645 signatures before New Balance issued its statement.

This isn't the first time that a company has faced controversy from gay rights supporters over contributions to conservative politicians and causes.

The big-box store Target faced a similar problem after it was revealed that the company had given $150,000 to Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. Emmer, who ultimately lost his bid to Democrat Mark Dayton, was firmly opposed to gay marriage. Target's CEO ultimately had to apologize after an outcry over the contribution, followed by a subsequent boycott of the company. CEO Gregg Steinhafel also stated that the company would increase its charitable giving to pro-gay rights organizations. The contribution left lingering bad feelings and some are still boycotting the company.

A similar problem arose from the millions of dollars in contributions that Texas billionaire Robert Rowling and his company TRT Holdings, which owns Gold's Gym, gave to the Karl Rove-linked conservative Super PAC, American Crossroads. Those donations resulted in a revolt by some Gold's Gym franchises. Four San Francisco-based gyms left the franchise over the group's support for anti-gay marriage politicians. Gold's Gym eventually distanced itself from TRT and Rowling's contributions.

 

 

Comments

[Tom Berndt]

07:26 PM on 08/15/2011

I support New Balance. Gays have no right to marriage. Americans should not have to pay for kids that gays bought.

[abhorson]

12:33 AM on 08/15/2011

That's not a problem... NB makes mostly jogging/running shoes and everyone KNOWS homo(sexuals) only use cross-trainers ... :))

[Dieter Zerressen]

08:55 PM on 08/11/2011

I'll make sure I never buy NB products. You can't give half a million bucks and then say it's a private donation and screw you. Sorry, there are plenty of decent competitors out there - please don't buy their stuff any more no matter what kind of "apology" comes out of this company.

[TyneCrescent]

05:44 PM on 08/11/2011

If New Balance is really serious about walking back the actions of its Chairman, time will tell and we'll see what they do to help right this individual's heinous actions. It might not mean much in the big scheme of things, none of their shoes for me or members of my family. Not a single pair.

[paid troll]

05:42 PM on 08/11/2011

NB, i'll buy other brands from now on.

[Kevin Phillips]

04:12 PM on 08/11/2011

Why doesn't New Balance follow the lead of Target. When they apologized they made an equal donation to gay rights groups. If New Balance wants us to believe they are truly "apologizing" for the actions of their Chairman - put your money where your spin doctor Press Relations apology is.

New Balance - Make a $500,000 donation to a Marriage Equality group.

[Edbeason]

02:07 PM on 08/11/2011

I just read the entire statement for the first time. I had decided to stop spending money with NB after being a long time customer of their excellent products because of this donation to Romney. I should have read the entire article and statement before I allowed myself to be so througly disappointed. Now, I happily take back what I said after the CEO's clarification. That sounds more like company I thougt I was spending my money with so as a result I'll continue to do so. I don't need to know about the company's political leanings because if they are leaning the way of the chairman and Romney, I'm out along with quite a few others I'm sure. They make a great product so I hope I can continue to patronize them in good conscious.

[den1953]

10:58 AM on 08/11/2011

I thought the Republicans wanted to keep women barefoot and pregnant where are the foot lotion and pamper donations?

[dax49]

10:48 AM on 08/11/2011

THAT'S IT- I call for a BOYCOTT OF NEW BALANCE NOW !!

[Larkin31]

10:36 AM on 08/11/2011

I will keep buying their shoes. The donation was made by an individual. And these are the only shoes that I can count on fitting my feet right out of the box every time.

[ssffww]

11:22 AM on 08/11/2011

An individual who happens to be Chairman of the company, so I'm sure he profits greatly from shoe sales. But by all means, sacrifice principles for the shoe that fits.

[Kevin Phillips]

02:46 PM on 08/11/2011

The donation was made by the CEO that only has the money to give because of his affiliation with the company. The actions of any and all CEOs are directly connected to the company they work for. Much the same as companies that pay Tiger Woods held him accountable for his actions as a private citizen.

[Larkin31]

03:50 PM on 08/11/2011

I disagree entirely. What you are calling "directed connected" is not a causal relationship nor a relationship of responsibility on the part of the employer who payed him money. That he was payed money in no way influenced nor was responsible for a donation to any particular candidate. And your two examples are apples and oranges. But still, you are free to spend your dollars in the stores of your choice.

[Aksumite]

08:59 AM on 08/11/2011

I'm a liberal myself, but come on folks, we're talking about a private donation made by one man who works for New Balance. You know how many people they employ? It doesn't make sense to single out a company because you know of one of its employees to make a donation to a candidate you don't support.

If it was a contribution made by the company, I can understand.

[golferman]

09:52 AM on 08/11/2011

I agree with you to a certain degree. But when that person is the CEO and the one pointing the direction that company will go is much different than me making a donation to my favorite group. It shows his way of thinking and his believes and much more. And his decisions affects thousands of lives.

[Larkin31]

10:32 AM on 08/11/2011

Technically, it was the chairperson, not the CEO, who made the contribution.

[Aksumite]

02:58 PM on 08/11/2011

Well, you have an option. You can choose to do business with companies whose top decision makers are all liberals (pretty hard to do), or you can accept that quite a few of those big suits have different ideologies than you.

Instead of focusing on what a person does privately with their own money, focus on what New Balance does as a corporation when deciding whether you want to continue a business relationship with them.

You think conservatives stop buying Apple products when they know Steve Jobs donates to Democrats? What about Liberals when it comes to The Simpsons and Family Guy. Both cartoons lean left when presenting their views (both creators are Liberals), and yet they're featured on FOX. Murdoch gets his money with the shows popularity, but so do Matt Groening and Seth MacFarlane.

[Bill J4321]

10:00 AM on 08/11/2011

Nor does it make sense to single out LGBT citizens to live under a completely different set of laws and privileges.

What a stupid thing to say.

[Aksumite]

02:42 PM on 08/11/2011

I never said it made sense to single out LGBT citizens to live under different rules.

My point, which you missed, is that attacking a company for what an employee does privately with their own time and their own money is ridiculous.

Didn't you think it was far-fetched when GEICO fired its spokesperson when he criticized the Tea Party and FreedomWorks on his own time? His comments, which were not done on GEICO's dime, angered conservatives and they pressured GEICO to do something about it -- fire him.

[Powderfinger]

08:35 AM on 08/11/2011

Corporate hypocrites. They'll do and say anything for money

No New Balance shoes for me!

[1differentdrummer]

05:27 AM on 08/11/2011

I don't care for their shoes.

[Assumed Name]

02:53 AM on 08/11/2011

If Davis gave to Romney, then he doesn't support gay marriage. (Action speaks louder than words, and $500,000 speakes volumes.)

[captainjim1]

10:09 AM on 08/11/2011

The Bush supreme court says money is free speach. 500,000 does say volumes.

[Assumed Name]

10:35 AM on 08/11/2011

Ooo, la-la: I'm your first fan!! :)

[Larkin31]

10:33 AM on 08/11/2011

Or else he is negligent in his political/social awareness.

[Assumed Name]

10:37 AM on 08/11/2011

...top administrators who have $500,000 to donate to a politician aren't usually in the habit of being negligent in quite that way...if they are negligent at all: he knew very well who Romney was and what he was about.

[madisonlike60]

01:54 AM on 08/11/2011

Well when your corporation is a "person" you need to expect that the way you behave is not going to please everyone.
The only power the real people have is to boycott the fake people. Works for me.

[Turtlenewz]

01:56 AM on 08/11/2011

Boycott New Balance !!!!!

[madisonlike60]

01:59 AM on 08/11/2011

I will. I walk miles every day, and go to the gym 3 days a week, and of course, I wear NB cross trainers, well, I DID.