Major League Baseball Donated to Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith After Video of ‘Public Hanging’ Remark Surfaced

“But please MLB, do continue to tell us how much people of color matter and the importance of Jackie Robinson’s legacy,” Jemele Hill said, on Twitter.

Sheryl Estrada

Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s “joke” about attending “a public hanging” — a method of domestic terrorism that killed hundreds of Black people in Mississippi — resulted in major companies withdrawing their support, except for Major League Baseball (MLB). Hyde-Smith recently received the legal maximum donation of $5,000 from the MLB.

A Mississippi midterm election runoff between Hyde-Smith and Democratic opponent Mike Espy, who is African American, is set for Tuesday. On Nov. 11, a video at a campaign rally in Tupelo surfaced, which showed Hyde-Smith expressing admiration for a rancher by saying, “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row.”

The Office of the Commissioner of MLB made the donation to Hyde-Smith on Nov. 23, according to Judd Legum of Popular Information, who revealed a Federal Election Commission report filed on Nov. 24.

Legum’s report states the committee was formed “as the sport endured a number of potentially crippling controversies, including the threat of a player’s strike and fan anger over the possible contraction of two teams.”

Meanwhile, on Nov. 21, Charles B. Johnson, the principal owner of the San Francisco Giants, and his wife, Ann, each donated $2,700 to Hyde-Smith’s campaign.

That donation came after a photo surfaced of Hyde-Smith wearing Confederate garb.

In October, Johnson gave $1,000 to the Black Americans for the President’s Agenda. It’s a Super PAC that has a Black figurehead, yet is funded by a number of wealthy white conservatives.

A racist and misogynistic radio ad created by the PAC in support of Republican Rep. French Hill warned, “Democrats will be lynching Black folk again.”

Many expressed their disappointment at MLB for the donation to Hyde-Smith, including sports journalist Jemele Hill, who tweeted:

Jemele Hill

@jemelehill

But please MLB, do continue to tell us how much people of color matter and the importance of Jackie Robinson’s legacy …

Judd Legum

@JuddLegum

BREAKING: Major League Baseball donates $5000 to Cindy Hyde-Smith @MLB https://popular.info/p/major-league-baseball-donates-5000 …

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7:54 PM – Nov 24, 2018

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On Sunday morning, due to backlash, MLB said it would ask for its donation back:

Buster Olney

@Buster_ESPN

From MLB spokesperson, about the $5,000 donation to Senate candidate Cindy Hyde-Smith: “The contribution was made in connection with an event that MLB lobbyists were asked to attend. MLB has requested that the contribution be returned.”

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5:20 AM – Nov 25, 2018

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