Climate and Sustainability Shareholder Resolutions Database | Ceres

Report on election spending and lobbying (FLR, 2015 Resolution)

Industry Construction & Engineering
Sector Industrials
Filed By City of Philadelphia
Votes 35.89%
Status Vote
View Memo

Organization: Fluor Corporation

Year: 2015

Resolved: Resolved: That the shareholders of Fluor Corp. ('Fluor' or 'Company') hereby request that the Company provide a report, updated semiannually, disclosing the Company's: 1. Policies and procedures for making, with corporate funds or assets, contributions and expenditures (direct or indirect) to (a) participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office, or (b) influence the general public, or any segment thereof, with respect to an election or referendum. 2. Monetary and non-monetary contributions and expenditures (direct and indirect) used in the manner described in section 1 above, including: a. The identity of the recipient as well as the amount paid to each; and b. The title(s) of the person(s) in the Company responsible for decision-making. The report shall be presented to the board of directors or relevant board committee and posted on the Company's website within 12 months from the date of the annual meeting.

Supporting Statement:Supporting Statement: As long-term shareholders of Fluor, we support transparency and accountability in corporate spending on political activities. These include any activities considered intervention in any political campaign under the Internal Revenue Code, such as direct and indirect contributions to political candidates, parties, or organizations; independent expenditures; or electioneering communications on behalf of federal, state or local candidates. Disclosure is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders. The Supreme Court's Citizens United decision: "[D]isclosure permits citizens and shareholders to react to the speech of corporate entities in a proper way. This transparency enables the electorate to make informed decisions and give proper weight to different speakers and messages." Gaps in transparency and accountability may expose the company to reputational and business risks that could threaten long-term shareholder value. Publicly available records show that Fluor contributed at least $2.6 million in corporate funds since the 2004 election cycle. (CQ: http://moneyline.cq.com and National Institute on Money in State Politics: http://followthemoney.org) But our Company offers no information on its website about how it manages political spending and to whom it gives. Relying on publicly available data does not provide a complete picture of the Company's political spending. For example, the Company's payments to trade associations used for political activities are undisclosed and unknown. In some cases, even management does not know how trade associations use their company's money politically. The proposal asks the Company to disclose all of its political spending, including payments to trade associations and other tax exempt organizations used for political purposes. This would bring our Company in line with a growing number of leading companies, including United Technologies, Cummins, Inc., and CSX Corp. that support political disclosure and accountability and present this information on their websites.

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