> why the fuck are we in the habit of giving companies the benefit of the doubt on this

Because companies pay for lobbyist, give donations, and other perks to politicians. Simple as that ... And companies a a-political, they simply give money to both sides, so who is in power has less effect.

While you the normal voter, only matter a few times, and with increased irrelevant as how powerful your vote is.

The fact that companies can now vote in local elections (in some states, you can guess the states colors), tells you how deep the corruption has gone.