It’s hard to find a liberal who loves Amazon. In the old days, the online shopping and web services behemoth was just despised for forcing beloved brick-and-mortar bookstores out of business. But as the company expanded its footprint, it has drawn fire for its monopolistic practices, deplorable working conditions for warehouse employees, and the obscene wealth of Jeff Bezos, who has become a symbol of inequality.
Still, Amazon’s higher-paid employees are a sweet spot for Democrats seeking donations—they live in liberal places like Seattle; they’re highly educated and tend to work in some intersection of tech and entertainment, industries with a heavy tint of blue. Bezos himself doesn’t give a whole lot in political donations, and when he does it’s idiosyncratic—he dropped $10 million to With Honor, a nonpartisan Super PAC that supports military veterans in both parties. (With Honor subsequently got into hot water for an ad slamming a Democratic challenger for criticizing America after 9/11.) There are many solidly Democratic big-money donors in Amazon’s ranks, however. Here are a few of the most notable:
David Zapolsky
If Zapolsky’s name sounds familiar, it’s probably because a memo he wrote describing a union organizer fired from a warehouse as “not smart or articulate” leaked and led to a public apology from an executive in May. Less remarked upon is the general counsel’s history of contributions to mostly moderate Democrats ranging from Arizona’s Mark Kelly to Montana’s Gov. Steve Bullock. But really, Zapolsky is on this list because of one massive $250,000 gift to the Biden Victory Fund (a joint fundraising operation of dozens of Democratic organizations). He’s also routinely given tens of thousands to the DNC, DCCC, and Washington State Democratic Party, making him maybe Amazon’s most notable Democratic donor. (Steven Kessel and Gianni Puerini are probably the other most prominent Amazon-linked donors, but neither is still at the company.)
Valerie Singer
A higher-up in Amazon Web Services (one of the company’s less flashy, but most important divisions), Singer has been donating to Democrats since the 2004 cycle. She’s upped her giving in recent years, donating nearly $7,000 to EMILY’s List and $2,400 to Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign, and she gifted over $10,000 to Joe Biden in 2020, along with $5,000 to the DNC.
Paul Misener
Longtime Amazonian Misener is officially the VP of “global innovation policy and communications,” which thankfully we don’t have to explain here. His donation history is interesting: He’s given thousands to Republicans like Darrell Issa and Jason Chaffetz while also supporting some Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, but since 2017, his giving has been 100% Democratic. This includes $8,400 to Rep. Jennifer Wexton and $10,600 to Rep. Don Beyer, members of Congress in northern Virginia, where Misener lives; $37,000 to the DNC; and $2,500 to the Progressive Turnout Project PAC.
Amy Sherman-Palladino
The Gilmore Girls creator is on this list because her latest hit, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, is on Amazon Prime; her employer is listed as “Amazon” on her most recent political donations. Sherman-Palladino has a long record of giving generously to Democrats, dating back to some $1,000 gifts to former Sen. Barbara Boxer in 2002. In 2020, she donated money like an ActBlue junkie, making dozens upon dozens of $111.11 donations through the platform (these donations are not itemized on the FEC website, so the ultimate recipient is unclear). She's also given many small gifts to Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono, gave $2,800 to the Biden campaign and $1,000 to the DCCC. Why $111.11? Apparently, she's drawn to being quirky even as a donor.
