At Tyson Foods Inc., we are committed to being a responsible corporate citizen, to ensuring compliance with the letter and spirit of the law and to promoting disclosure and accountability regarding political contributions and expenditures. We are committed to engage responsibly in the political process that affect our customers, team members, communities, and the overall company. Our Political Contributions and Expenditures Policy supports the Company’s interest in promoting public policies of concern by educating public officials about our business without regard for the private political preferences of our executives. We also seek to support candidates that focus on broader issues of importance to our communities and team members, including community support and those that create a more diverse and inclusive workforce and society.
Tyson Foods Inc. conducts all political engagements, including contributions, in a transparent, legal, and ethical manner. The Company has put in place effective compliance procedures for oversight of political expenditures, corporate contributions, and lobbying activities. The Tyson Foods Code of Conduct requires all team members to maintain honest relationships with all levels of governments officials.
Political Contributions
At Tyson Foods Inc., we support candidates on a bipartisan basis who responsibly evaluate issues of concern to our company, team members and customers. We generally focus on members of leadership, members of relevant committees, members from states or districts where Tyson Foods has facilities and where our team members reside.
Political contributions aligned with our Company’s public policy objectives are made through the Tyson Foods Inc. Political Action Committee (TYPAC), the Tyson Foods Arkansas PAC (AR PAC) as well as through corporate contributions for state and local candidates in states where permissible.
As a general practice, Tyson Foods Inc. does not engage in independent political expenditures. However, if the Company does so, it will disclose them on its corporate website, updated on a semi-annual basis, in accordance with our Political Contributions and Expenditures Policy, here
Tyson Foods Inc. will also disclose on its corporate website all political contributions made pursuant to our Policy to political candidates, parties and committees (as defined under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code), or to influence the outcome of a ballot measure, including recipient names and amounts.
Tyson Foods Inc PAC (TYPAC)
TYPAC is an independent, separate legal entity funded through voluntary contributions from eligible team members under U.S. law. It has a dedicated Board of Directors (TYPAC Board) and specific bylaws. TYPAC makes contributions in a non-partisan manner to U.S. candidates for federal office, leadership and industry Political Action Committees (PACs). Contributions from TYPAC are publicly disclosed and can be found on the Federal Election Commission website, here
Tyson Foods Arkansas PAC (ARPAC)
Tysons Foods Inc. formed an in-state PAC to comply with Arkansas state law, pursuant to the Arkansas Ethics Reform Law of 2015. The Tyson Foods Arkansas PAC (ARPAC) is non-partisan and only gives to state and local candidates in Arkansas. Contributions from AR PAC are publicly available and can be found on the Arkansas Secretary of State Financial Disclosure website and listed below.
Corporate Contributions
Tyson Foods Inc. makes corporate contributions directed to state and local candidates in states where permissible under law, all while complying with applicable laws and regulations governing political contributions or expenditures. Corporate contributions can be found listed below.
Board of Directors Oversight
The Board of Directors plays an important role in overseeing Tyson Foods’ public policy engagement and political participation. The Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board, which is composed entirely of independent directors, oversees the Corporation’s governance policies regarding political contributions and expenditures. The committee approves on an annual basis the corporation’s contribution criterion, spending guidelines and total corporate expenditure budget. This committee also reviews on an annual basis the Corporation’s political contributions, including contributions to candidates, political action committees, PAC to PAC contributions and corporate contributions.
Organization Memberships and Lobbying Expenses
Tyson Foods Inc. maintains memberships with several trade associations that engage in federal lobbying. Some trade associations may use a portion of membership dues to engage in their own lobbying activities, but no part of membership dues may be used for political contributions, independent expenditures, electioneering communications, or ballot initiatives, as defined by applicable law.
Tyson Foods Inc. requests each U.S. trade association, identified as tax-exempt by the Internal Revenue Service under Section 501(c)(6), and each social welfare organization, identified as tax-exempt by the Internal Revenue Service under Section 501(c)(4), that received total payments of $50,000 or more in a given year to report the portion of Tyson Foods dues or payments used for political expenditures or contributions that if made directly by Tyson Foods would not be deductible under Section 162(e)(1)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Tyson Foods Inc. fulfills all legal requirements by reporting these dues as a part of the company’s compliance with federal lobbying and ethics filling disclosures.
Below please find links to all TYPAC and political contributions as well as a list of the trade associations to which Tyson Foods paid dues of $50,000 or more.