Following the Supreme
Court’s decision in Citizens
United v. Federal Election Commission, the Center for Political
Activity, among others, and the CPA-Zicklin Index pushed for greater
transparency and more disclosure regarding corporate political spending. Over
the years and with enhanced shareholder engagement, mandatory and voluntary
corporate political disclosures have increased and improved. With the recent
social and political unrest, companies are pressed to take positions on
political and/or social issues. Investors are scrutinizing companies’
activities and statements about environmental, social and governance (“ESG”)
issues, including political contributions and positions, and examining whether
companies’ disclosures and support for political and/or social issues are
consistent with the company’s values and the company’s public
positions/priorities. These investor concerns are reflected in shareholder
proposals submitted during the 2022 proxy season.
This webinar provides an in-depth discussion of learnings from the 2022 proxy season and
evolving investor and proxy advisor expectations regarding the transparency and
congruency of companies’ political and social activities/issues. This Weinberg Center panel provides participants with useful insights and
practical takeaways when addressing these issues.
The participants are:
- Donna Anderson, Head of Corporate Governance,
T. Rowe Price
- Bruce Freed, President and Co-Founder,
Center for Political Accountability
- Jake Walko, Director of ESG Investing
& Global Investment Stewardship, Thornburg Investment
Management