AUGUSTA, Maine — The granddaughter of L.L. Bean‘s founder said she’s not going to leave the company’s board over a donation she made to a pro-Donald Trump political action committee.
The founders of GrabYourWallet.com suggested they’d back away from calls for a boycott if Linda Bean steps down from her post on the company’s 10-member board.
Bean told “Fox and Friends” on Thursday that she’s being bullied.
“It’s bullying,” Bean told the FOX Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo. “They want to control how we spend our money, what we buy, where we buy it. That’s wrong, it’s un-American.”
The president-elect thanked Linda Bean on Twitter for her “great support and courage.” He ended by saying, “Buy L.L. Bean.”
The company has sought to distance itself from Bean, noting that her political activity doesn’t speak for the other nine board members and 50 family owners.
The PAC originally reported Bean donated $60,000. It has since revised the figure to $30,000.
The Federal Election Commission said Bean made excessive contributions to the PAC, which was limited to individual contributions of $5,000 in a single year. The group is taking steps to change its registration to a super PAC, allowing it to raise unlimited funds.
Linda Bean said that she has no plans to resign from the board and noted that the company has seen a “slight uptick” in business following the controversy.
