Donald Trump praises LL Bean owner whose company was boycotted for supporting the President-elect
Linda Bean, of boot-maker LL Bean, donated $60,000 to the President-elect’s campaign
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has tweeted praise to a businesswoman who donated to his political campaign, drawing more attention to a controversy that the company took steps to avoid.
Mr Trump tweeted: "Thank you to Linda Bean of L.L.Bean for your great support and courage. People will support you even more now. Buy L.L.Bean."
The boot-maker company, on whose board Ms Bean sits, has been the subject of a boycott by consumer activist group Grab Your Wallet after it found that the board member had donated $60,000 to Mr Trump’s PAC, Making America Great Again.
According to the Federal Election Commission, the donation exceeded the PAC’s limit.
LL Bean responded in a Facebook statement that it was "disappointed" to be involved in the controversy just because Ms Bean, one board member of 10, personally chose to support Mr Trump.
“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," executive chairman Shawn Gorman 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."
Neither LL Bean nor Grab Your Wallet could not be reached for comment by The Independent.
Grab Your Wallet also opposes companies that "do business with the Trump family", including Amazon, Macy’s NASCAR and Walmart.
It was founded by Shannon Coulter after the leaked Access Hollywood tape which showed the President-elect bragging about his right to grab women’s genitals.
She told Maine Public Radio that the consumer group would take LL Bean off its list if Linda Bean was dropped from the board.
“As fans of L.L. Bean’s products, everybody is hoping that the company is really seriously evaluating whether or not Linda Bean’s presence and contributions to the company are worth the damage she continues to inflict on L.L. Bean’s brand and reputation,” Ms Coulter said.
Companies have been affected by boycotts following praise of Mr Trump.
Shoe retailer New Balance suffered a backlash after a spokesman for the Boston-based company said that, under a President Trump, "things are going to move in the right direction".
Despite a statement to say the spokesman’s comments were taken out of context and that the company does not accept bigotry, the shoe company was quickly adopted by the Neo Nazi movement, with fascist writer Andrew Anglin praising the company’s “brave act”.
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