The 15 state attorney general urged a group of top corporate leaders on April 15 to drop the corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program.
Such programs are “splitting” and “illegal,” a state office holder led by Andrew Bailey of Missouri, said in a correspondence addressed to the Business Roundtable.
“The Business Roundtable decided that the racist Day initiative was more important than the free market,” Bailey told the Epoch Times.
“I’m fighting to protect Americans and investors working against these awakened political tendencies and blatant racism,” he said.
According to the group’s website, these members “represent all sectors of the economy and provide a unique and important perspective that can withstand policy issues affecting the economy.”
In the newsletter, the Attorney General urged the business roundtable to “waive the illegal and false DEI initiatives that have been too long and brought about by both businesses and consumers.”
Many companies are embracing “divisive DEI policies” that “will risk putting (their) organizations into substantial responsibility,” the letter said.
After the CEO “waived the fiduciary liability in exchange for a social cachet,” the state attorney general conducted a “examination of key companies under the state’s consumer protection law,” the letter said.
For example, after the UN-backed Net Zero Banking Alliance, all banks surveyed said they had withdrawn from the alliance as they were investigated by the 19 state attorney general after companies aimed at changing their investment practices to support climate goals. Net Zero is a term that covers the practice of balancing greenhouse gas emissions with the amount extracted from the atmosphere.
The state attorney general also states that he has pleaded “opposed illegal corporate racial preference policies” under the state’s human rights laws.
The CEO committed in a statement “to lead the company for the benefit of all stakeholders, including customers, employees, suppliers, communities, shareholders and more.”
“Primary employers are investing in their workers and communities because they know that it is the only way to succeed over the long term. These modernized principles reflect the business community’s unwavering commitment to continuing to drive an economy that serves all Americans,” he said.
However, a new letter from the Attorney General criticised the “redefinition” of 2019 by the Business Roundtable.
“To abandon what has long been a guide to free market capitalism – maximizing shareholder profits – has resulted in the exchange of lofty (and still undefined) “social” goals for a progressive social cause. ”
After the redefinition, many companies accepted “illegal DEI practices” that include programs that “support several racial groups over others,” the letter said.
The executive order has been challenged in court.
The Epoch Times reached out to the business round table for comments. There were no responses before the publication time.
Austin Alonzo contributed to this report.
