Saying it is “deeply troubled” that some people believe it has a political agenda, Maine retail giant L.L.Bean asked for its removal from a boycott list kept by critics of President-elect Donald Trump.
In a public statement released Sunday, company Executive Chairman Shawn Gorman said L.L.Bean “does not endorse political candidates, take positions on political matters or make political contributions. Simply put, we stay out of politics.”
To be included in this boycott campaign is simply misguided, and we respectfully request that Grab Your Wallet reverse its position,” Gorman said.
Shannon Coulter, a California marketing specialist who created the #GrabYourWallet boycott list, said Monday that’s not happening.
She put the company on the list of 75 retailers to shun because of L.L.Bean board member Linda Bean’s donations to help Trump get elected.
“It’s offensive that L.L.Bean is attempting to whitewash Linda Bean’s political activities within a spectrum of political causes among its owners,” she said.
Coulter said xenophobia and racism “are not causes. They are hateful, divisive fear tactics responsible for some of the worst atrocities in human history.”
A growing number of online foes of Trump have used social media to denounce L.L.Bean and proclaim that they won’t shop there. But some fans of the incoming president are hailing the retailer as the controversy grows.
L.L.Bean, however, just wants to get out of the political arena.
Gorman said Bean, granddaughter of the retailer’s founder, is one of more than 50 family members involved in the Freeport-based business. He said her support of Trump was personal and had nothing to do with the privately held company.
Gorman said the retailer has been “a values-driven company” since its founding in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean “that has long been inspiring people to live life outdoors.”
L.L.Bean is “singularly focused on offering high-quality, satisfaction-guaranteed products and outstanding customer service in the Maine tradition,” Gorman said.
As a result, he said, it is able to employ 5,000 and donate “tens of millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations promoting environmental stewardship, educational attainment and a host of other worthy causes at the local, state and national levels.”
“Our owners, employees and customers hold views and embrace causes that are individual and diverse,” Gorman said. “We are united by our love for the outdoors and our guiding principles established back in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean himself who believed ‘do unto others’ was not just a saying, but a way of life.”
We fully acknowledge and respect that some may disagree with the political views of a single member of our 10-person board of directors,” he said.
“Like most large families, the more than 50 family member-owners of the business hold views and embrace causes across the political spectrum, just as our employees and customers do,” he said. “And as every member of the family would agree, no individual alone speaks on behalf of the business or represents the values of the company that L.L. built.”
With this in mind, we are deeply troubled by the portrayal of L.L.Bean as a supporter of any political agenda,” Gorman said.
Linda Bean came to the boycotters’ attention Friday after The Associated Press reported that her donations to a pro-Trump political action committee exceeded limits allowed by law. She gave as much as $60,000 to the group Making America Great Again, which was limited to individual contributions of $5,000, according to federal regulators.
Bean has donated more than $300,000 to politicians and political action committees in the past five years, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Gorman donated to two GOP presidential candidates who lost to Trump: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and business executive Carly Fiorina.
He also gave $1,000 to the Republican National Committee in 2015 and $1,000 to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine in 2013. In 2012, he helped raise $5,000 for GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
scollins@sunjournal.com
Among Linda Bean’s political donations since 2012:
$100,000 to Liberty For All Action Fund.
$60,000 to Making America Great Again, LLC.
$102,500 to the Maine Republican Party.
$35,000 to Conservative, Authentic, Responsive Leadership for You and America.
$5,000 to Revolution PAC.
$8,000 to U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin.
$10,400 to U.S. Sen. Rand Paul.
$5,400 to Carly Fiorina.
$2,700 to Donald Trump.
$5,000 for Reinventing a New Direction PAC.
$750 to state Sen. Eric Brakey, R-Auburn.
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