Major technology companies such as Google and Microsoft, as well as telecommunications giants such as Comcast and Verizon, are among the nearly 1,000 people and groups who have donated at least $ 200 to the committee that elected President Joseph R. Biden Jr. inauguration this month.
The donor list, launched by the committee Saturday night, was mostly filled with individual donors, including big donors to Democrats like Arthur Blank, the owner of the Atlanta Falcons; Richard C. Blum, the husband of Senator Dianne Feinstein of California; and Donald Sussman, a hedge fund mogog.
The founding committee, on December 31, at the end of the period voluntarily announced, did not list any amounts given to these 959 donors.
The actual donor amounts may not be known until 90 days after the inauguration, when the committee will be required by law to disclose the names and amounts of all donations in excess of $ 200. There are no legal restrictions on how much a donor can give to a first committee, but the committee of mr. Biden voluntarily limited contributions by individuals to $ 500,000 and by businesses to $ 1 million.
Many of the large companies that traditionally make large contributions to the inauguration events are missing. Some have explained that they are not going to donate because the event will be largely virtual due to the pandemic. Others have said they focus their donations on helping people affected by the economic downturn caused by coronavirus.
But the technology and telecommunications industries, an important source of cash for Mr. Biden, and the groups that support it, are well represented on the list. Donations also come from Qualcomm, a semiconductor and software company in California, and Charter Communications, a cable company.
José Castañeda, a Google spokesman, said Google was included in the list because it provided free security protection to the Institutions Committee online.
Other corporate donations come from the political action committee of Enterprise Holdings, which is associated with the company that owns the brands Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car.
Healthcare businesses are also prominent on the list, including Anthem Inc., the medical insurance giant MedPoint Management, which provides management services to physician groups, and Masimo Corporation, a manufacturer of electronic patient monitoring devices.
The presidential transition
Boeing Company, the aviation and military contracting giant, is also listed as a donor.
The Biden team banned donations from the oil, gas and coal industry and registered lobbyists.
Trade unions, including the American Federation of Teachers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the United Food and Commercial Workers union, made contributions.
There was also a sprinkling of celebrities on the list – as was the case with Mr. Biden’s presidential campaign – including Barbra Streisand.
An inauguration spokesman declined to comment when asked on Saturday how much Biden’s committee had collected in total.
The fundraising effort is likely to fade compared to the $ 107 million record set by Mr. Trump was raised for his inauguration, with donations of as much as $ 5 million from big supporters such as Sheldon G. Adelson, a casino executive and chief Republican donor.
Mr. Biden urged his supporters not to travel to Washington for the inauguration on January 20, because outside of the swearing-in ceremony, there will be few large-scale personal events.
Details of the inauguration schedule have not yet been announced, and planning for the event was also affected by the Capitol’s storms Wednesday by Trump supporters in an outbreak of violence that raised concerns about security during the swear-in. ceremony.
The organizers said the inaugural festival included a “virtual concert” featuring great artists, a ceremony commemorating people killed by the coronavirus and a virtual event similar to the extensive event held at the Democratic National Committee last year. held, included short videos from all 57 states and territories.
But the inauguration committee was still trying to solicit large donations by offering a variety of unusual benefits. Corporations contributing $ 1 million and individuals contributing $ 500,000 will receive an invitation to a virtual event with Mr. Biden and Jill Biden, the future first lady, along with a photo, as well as a similar occasion with under-elected Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff.
The fundraising effort continues, and the committee sent a request to donors on Saturday night shortly after announcing the preliminary list of donors.
“Our team is creating a new style of inauguration that integrates traditional elements with creative programming and local events across the country – which is why we are reaching out today,” reads the fundraising email, which is aimed at recipients in different parts of the country.
According to the email, the committee wants to “ensure that we have a strong representation across the country as part of our donor roots inauguration program.”