The H.J. Heinz Company has mounted its own election campaign to separate the company from the presidential race.
According to KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh,
The company has sent out letters to radio and TV talk shows across the country announcing that Heinz is not sending money to Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.
[. . .]
The company, however, asserts, "that neither Mrs. Teresa Heinz Kerry, Senator John Kerry nor any member of their family is involved in the management or board of the HJ Heinz Company... They have no involvement in the Heinz Ketchup business or any of the company's other brands or products.."
Company spokeswoman Debbie Foster told the Associated Press, "We don't want this campaign to become a food fight... Teresa Heinz Kerry is not on the board and she is in no way involved with the management of this company."
Heinz has apparently received about 150 calls this month along from consumers vowing to boycott Heinz products. The company has also received calls from customers claiming to buy more.
Heinz says it hasn't been involved in politics since Morris the Cat ran for president in 1988.
The H.J. Heinz Company issued a press release declaring that the company is a non-partisan organization:
Neither Mrs. Heinz Kerry nor Senator Kerry nor any of the Heinz trusts or endowments - either individually or collectively - holds a significant percentage of shares of the H.J. Heinz Company.
[. . .]
There is no connection between any philanthropic programs of the H.J. Heinz Company and its Foundation and the Heinz family interests (including the Howard Heinz Endowment, the Vira Heinz Endowment, and the Heinz Family Philanthropies).
The Boston Herald says Heinz is "laying it on pretty thick."
To demonstrate it is non partisanship, H.J. Heinz contributed to President Bush's campaign. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Federal Election Commission's web site listed a $2,000 contribution on Dec. 31, 2003, by Teresa Heinz Kerry to the "John Kerry For President Inc." cause, it also lists a $5,000 contribution on June 3, 2003, to "Bush-Cheney '04 Inc." by the H.J. Heinz Co. Political Action Committee.
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