“Wal-Mart is running an illegal scheme to prod employees into contributing to its political action committee, circumventing a federal law that bars companies from putting corporate funds into political campaigns, Public Citizen, Common Cause and two Wal-Mart employees and shareholders charged today. In a complaint to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the public interest organizations and employee-shareholders Cynthia Murray and Evelin Cruz detailed a program in which Wal-Mart reportedly solicits managers for contributions to its political action committee (PAC). In exchange, the company reportedly donates twice the amount of those contributions exclusively to its Associates in Critical Need Trust. The trust – fully controlled by Wal-Mart – was started in 2001 by the company to help employees facing financial distress.”