Several businesses in Tacoma, Washington, are distancing themselves from a local brewery following revelations about a political donation made by its owners. This came to light when a political activist revealed that E9 Brewing Co. & Taproom had contributed to a political action committee opposing liberal agendas.
The backlash started when a socialist activist disclosed the entities that supported the Let’s Go Washington PAC, a group that raised funds to counter initiatives such as allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports and the proposed millionaire’s tax while advocating for a parental bill of rights.
The brewery’s owners, brothers John and Lucas Xitco, stated that their contribution to the PAC was solely in opposition to the tax, and claimed they were unaware of the other initiatives tied to the organization.
The activist who publicized this information, Zev Cook, has previously run for a seat on the Tacoma City Council and has connections to the Democratic Socialists of America. Cook also identifies as a transgender woman.
In light of the situation, numerous local restaurants are vowing to stop carrying E9’s products. For example, Corbeau restaurant posted on Instagram stating, “We are an anti-fascist restaurant, we support trans kids, we believe in a progressive tax system. Therefore, after learning of their donation to Let’s Go Washington, we will no longer be carrying E9 beers.”
Another establishment, Dusty’s Hideaway, announced it would sell off its remaining E9 inventory and donate the proceeds to support a transgender employee’s top surgery.
John Xitco refuted allegations that their political donations were linked to transgender issues, providing evidence to back his statements. “We supported the tax initiative. We didn’t even know about the other initiatives,” he remarked.
In response to the outrage, Xitco also expressed intentions to donate to LGBTQ+ community centers. He stated, “We have long supported the LGBTQ+ community. Many of those affected by the recent posts are our friends, colleagues, employees, and customers. We are especially sorry that our employees were drawn into a matter with which they had absolutely no involvement.”
