Target Employees Upset with Political Donation

MINNEAPOLIS - A donation to Minnesota Forward -- an organization that back Republican Tom Emmer -- by Minneapolis-based Target has upset employees.

The ad from Minnesota Forward supporting Emmer focuses on jobs and does not mention his opposition to gay marriage.

For many in the gay community, Target's support of Minnesota Forward is enough to get blogs and Twitter pages humming. Postings condemned the company for contributing $150,000 to the independent political group.

Outside Target's store in downtown Minneapolis, FOX 9 found a few shoppers who think Target should change its stance based on the backlash, but many other are not bothered one bit.

VIDEO (left) Is it a big deal? Republican analyst Sarah Janecek and democratic analyst and host for FM 107 Brian Lambert discuss the implications of the donation.

Target's donation is another result of the recent Supreme Court decision known as, Citizens United, which allows companies and unions to spend freely supporting, opposing candidates or campaigns.

In a letter to employees Tuesday, company CEO Gregg Steinhafel addressed the issue saying the support of Minnesota Forward is based solely on the group's pro-business agenda.

He also added, “let me be very clear, Target's support of the GLBT community is unwavering, and inclusiveness remains a core value of our company..."

Heather LaMarre is a mass communications and pr professor at the University of Minnesota. She says Target should have better anticipated the negative reaction to the Emmer connection.

"There’s a disconnect there,” said LaMarre. “How can you be for social things but support a candidate outwardly against them? People can see through that."

She says Citizens United gives companies like Target a lot of opportunity to get involved, but they should consider consumer reaction as much as the political gain.