By CatholicVote | Created at 2025-01-29 04:41:36 | Updated at 2025-01-30 08:23:23
1 day ago
CV NEWS FEED // Nineteen Republican state attorneys general penned a letter to Costco CEO Ron Vachris urging the warehouse club retail giant to “do the right thing” and rescind its controversial far-left diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in accordance with President Donald Trump’s new executive order.
Costco has notably embraced and vowed to continue its DEI initiatives while a host of other large corporations, including fellow big-box retailers including Walmart and Target, have recently nixed the controversial ideological programs. Walmart owns Sam’s Club, which is widely considered Costco’s primary direct competitor.
In the letter, the attorneys general, led by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, called on Costco “to end all unlawful discrimination imposed by the company” via its DEI policies.
“Although Costco’s motto is ‘do the right thing,’ it appears that the company is doing the wrong thing,” the 19 chief state prosecutors pointed out, “clinging to DEI policies that courts and businesses have rejected as illegal.”
“Costco should treat every person equally and based on their merit, rather than based on divisive and discriminatory DEI practices,” the attorneys general added. “That reflects President Trump’s executive order encouraging ‘the Private Sector to End Illegal DEI discrimination and Preferences.’”
“Within 30 days, please either notify us that Costco has repealed its DEI policies or explain why Costco has failed to do so,” they demanded.
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In addition, the prosecutors noted that “The Supreme Court has repeatedly warned against using race-based preferences and classifications,” citing the cases Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Pena-Rodriguez v. Colorado.
“Last month, Costco’s board of directors unanimously recommended that shareholders vote against a proposal requiring Costco to study and report on financial risks associated with its DEI policies,” the letter added. “One member of your board of directors, who previously served [as] CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has called for companies to ‘maximize DEI efforts.’”
On top of this, the prosecutors indicated that Varchis himself “reportedly proclaimed” he was “not prepared to change” while he was “defending the company’s DEI policies to a customer.”
>> OCTOBER: LEADING ACTIVIST PREDICTS TRUMP WIN WILL END CORPORATE ‘WOKENESS’ <<
Lead signatory Bird told FOX News: “It’s time to ditch DEI. While other companies right the ship and abandon their illegal, woke policies, Costco has doubled down.”
“No American should be denied an opportunity because they don’t fit the woke mold,” Bird emphasized.
Kobach told FOX that “racial discrimination,” which he implied occurs under Costco’s current DEI policies, “is both immoral and illegal.”
“Race-based employment hiring violates state and federal law,” Kobach added.
In support of the retailer’s renewed commitment to maintaining its DEI policies, left-wing activist and Baptist pastor Rev. Al Sharpton led a shopping spree at a New York City Costco location this weekend. The New York Post detailed that the so-called “buy-cott” was joined by about 100 of Sharpton’s followers.
A leader at Sharpton’s nonprofit told the Post: “We’re supporting those who are not rolling back DEI. It’s very important to be here.”
The Post reported that Sharpton, a one-time failed Democratic presidential candidate, joked to the paper “that he was looking for a President Trump ‘punching bag’ at the big box store.”
Although he claims to be a “civil rights activist,” Sharpton’s actions have been widely characterized as racist and producing increased racial animosity in the country.
