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Microsoft won't make cash donation to Republican convention

By Eric DuVall
Republican Convention staff set up the stage in preparation for the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa Bay, Fla. Four years ago Microsoft made a cash donation to the GOP convention but in 2016 a company representative said their will not do so again this year. File photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
Republican Convention staff set up the stage in preparation for the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa Bay, Fla. Four years ago Microsoft made a cash donation to the GOP convention but in 2016 a company representative said their will not do so again this year. File photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

CLEVELAND, April 30 (UPI) -- Tech giant Microsoft will not make a cash donation to the Republican National Convention this year, as it has done in some past years, a company representative confirmed in a blog post Friday.

Fred Humphries, Microsoft vice president for government affairs, said the company arrived at the decision to make donations of the company's products to both the Democratic and Republican conventions and has agreed to pay for the sponsorship of some unspecified "host committee activities" at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia.

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Humphries said the company would not participate in any paid sponsorships at the Republican convention in Cleveland.

In 2012, the opposite was the case. Microsoft paid for sponsorship of the Republican convention, but not the Democratic convention, The Hill reported.

Humphries reiterated Microsoft remains neutral in the presidential race and said the decision had nothing to do with the controversy that has followed Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

Instead, Humphries acknowledged the conventions may have "more dramatic moments than in previous years," and said ensuring both parties have access to the technology to make the conventions run smoothly is the best role the company can play at both gatherings.

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Microsoft said it will donate its Surface tablets and other software to both parties as part of that effort.

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