Costco’s chairman of the board donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democrats in the last election cycle, and multiple other board members heavily donated to Democrats as well, according to data from the Federal Elections Commission.
The grocery wholesaler is grappling with a public backlash after the board overwhelmingly came out in favor of the company’s controversial DEI policies.
Chairman of the Board Hamilton E. James gave $100,000 to the Harris Action Fund in May 2023. Hamilton, who was formerly with the Blackstone Group, donated $150,000 to the Harris Victory Fund in October 2024, FEC data reveals.
The Costco chairman donated $250,000 to the Senate Majority PAC, a political action committee dedicated to electing Democrats to the Senate, and gave $100,000 to the House Majority Pac, which works to elect Democratic candidates to the House of Representatives, between September and October 2024.
COSTCO BOARD MEMBER DEFENDS DEI PRACTICES, REBUKES COMPANIES SCRAPPING POLICIES
Hamilton, 73, donated $41,000 to the PAC for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called the Jeffries Victory Fund in September 2024, among numerous other Democratic PACs, federal data reveals, and made donations to numerous state Democratic parties and committees.
Jeff Raikes, a Costco board member and former CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, appears to be one of the more prolific donors among the board, giving over $400,000 to Democratic candidates and causes in the last two years. On Oct. 28, 2024, Raikes gave $25,000 to the Harris Victory Fund, just days before the presidential election. A month earlier, he gave $25,000 to the House Majority PAC.
Costco board member Kenneth Denman made numerous donations to left-wing candidates and groups as well. In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, Denman made two $2,500 donations to Harris for President in one week, on Oct. 20 and Oct. 26.
Sally Jewell, who has sat on Costco’s board since 2020 and served in the Obama administration as secretary of the interior, made 49 contributions in support of Democratic candidates between January 2023 and December 2024. She gave thousands to groups supporting the campaigns of Democrats across the country, including former Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey and former Montana Sen. Jon Tester.
Director Helena Buonanno Foulkes gave $3,300 to Harris for President and $3,500 to the Harris Victory Fund in August, and donated in support of Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Tammy Baldwin and Casey. Foulkes is the niece of former Democratic Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd, and she made an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for governor of Rhode Island in 2022.
Of the Costco board members that Fox News Digital could independently verify, only John Stanton gave to Republican-aligned PACs. Stanton donated to PACs supporting Republican Sens. John Thune of South Dakota and John Barrasso of Wyoming, and he also contributed to Michigan Rep. John James. He also donated to a Washington Democrat, Rep. Adam Smith, last cycle.
None of the other board members appeared to have donated to Republicans or right-wing PACs. According to their website, Costco’s board currently consists of 11 members. The remaining members did not appear to make individual political donations in the 2024 cycle, or could not be verified to have done so, according to the FEC’s website.
COSTCO SHAREHOLDERS REJECT ANTI-DEI MEASURE
The significant left-wing political contributions among Costco’s board members come in light of a raging controversy over the wholesale grocer’s DEI policies. Nineteen state attorneys general urged the grocery wholesaler to drop DEI on Monday in light of President Donald Trump’s executive orders purging it from the federal government.
Raikes has been an outspoken supporter of DEI. In November 2024 he wrote, “Attacks on DEI aren’t just bad for business—they hurt our economy. A diverse workforce drives innovation, expands markets, and fuels growth. Let’s focus on building a future where all talent thrives,” in a post on X.
Denman frequently reposts criticisms of Trump and praise for Democrats on his X and Bluesky accounts.
The company’s founder, James Sinegal, who retired from his executive position in 2012, was a staunch supporter of the Democratic Party. He spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2012 as a backer of President Barack Obama.
Fox News Digital reached out to the board members who donated in the 2024 election cycle and have yet to receive a response. Jewell, James and Stanton were unable to be reached.
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