Netflix CEO Reed Hastings donated more than $140,000 to Missouri GOP lawmakers who backed the state’s recent abortion law, public records revealed. This, despite the streaming giant he co-founded taking a stance on Tuesday against Georgia’s similar legislation on abortion, stating that the company may stop filming in the state if the law goes into effect.
While the company publicly paints itself as an unwavering supporter of abortion rights by stating that it may cease production in Georgia, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has been donating to Republican members of the Missouri legislature, as first reported by the newsletter Popular Information.
“We have many women working on productions in Georgia, whose rights, along with millions of others, will be severely restricted by this law,” insisted Netflix chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, in a recent statement regarding Georgia’s new abortion law.
“It’s why we will work with the ACLU and others to fight it in court,” added Sarandos, “Given the legislation has not yet been implemented, we’ll continue to film there, while also supporting partners and artists who choose not to. Should it ever come into effect, we’d rethink our entire investment in Georgia.”
Missouri lawmakers had recently passed an abortion law very similar to that of Georgia.
Hastings donated $143,000 to 73 Missouri Republicans, according to Public Information, which adds that while some may dismiss these types of donations as a move that powerful people make in donating equally to both parties, Hastings had only donated $10,700 to Missouri Democrats within the same time frame.
While Netflix threatens to cease filming in Georgia, its CEO may have his eye on Missouri due to the financial perks that might come with filming television and movies in the state.
Missouri once offered tax credits to film studios, but hasn’t in several years, causing producers to shoot scenes set in Missouri in other states, such as Netflix’s Ozark, which, ironically, films in Georgia. Now, Missouri lawmakers are looking to potentially reboot the state’s tax incentive program.
“I have seen the benefits of us being a film tax credits state,” said Republican lieutenant governor Mike Kehoe earlier this year to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Lake Ozark, Branson area, would really like to work to try to attract some movie-making — I think we need a small amount.”
The newsletter adds that Hastings had also donated $2,600 — the maximum individual contribution — to the campaign of the now-governor or Missouri, Mike Parson, who signed the abortion bill into law last week.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo and on Instagram.
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