Led by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, 19 attorneys general have sent a joint letter to JPMorgan Chase & Co. warning the company that it had better stop discriminating against Christians and conservatives.
The letter begins by noting how JPMorgan Chase likes to portray itself as an “inclusive” company that “opposes discrimination in any form” and “promote[s] an inclusive society where everyone feels welcomed, equal and included.”
We strive to always build an environment that is diverse and inclusive for our employees, clients, and communities. For the 20th year in a row, @jpmorgan has scored a 100 on @HRC‘s 2022 Corporate Equality Index and is named a Best Place to Work for LGBT+ Equality. https://t.co/fVKzgX9MtE
— J.P. Morgan (@jpmorgan) January 27, 2022
The letter then contrasts this rhetoric with reality.
“But Chase has not extended its openness and inclusivity to everyone. Last year, Chase de-banked a preeminent religious liberty organization. And this was not an anomaly, as there have been at least two other similar incidents,” the letter reads.
This is true.
As reported by Fox Business Network in October, JPMorgan Chase closed the bank account of the National Committee for Religious Freedom — and it did so reportedly without providing any reason for the move.
“We went into a Chase branch in the District of Columbia to open an account, no problem. Then several weeks later, I went to put another deposit in the account, and they said, ‘Your account has been canceled, we’ll be sending your money back to you,'” founder Sam Brownback told the outlet at the time.
“The people said the decision was made at the corporate level, it’s secret, we’re not going to tell you why, and it’s irrevocable. We were just stunned,” he added.
In an op-ed written for the Washington Examiner, he added that someone eventually reached out to his group’s executive director and told them they’d reconsider the account closure decision, but only if the group handed over a bunch of info.
JPMorgan Chase reportedly wanted “our donor list, a list of political candidates we intended to support, and a full explanation of the criteria by which we would endorse and support those candidates,” Brownback wrote in his op-ed.
“It was entirely inappropriate to ask for this type of information. Does Chase ask every customer what politicians they support and why before deciding whether or not to accept them as a customer?” he added.
Brownback is, for his part, pleased with the AGs’ letter:
The rhetoric of inclusion coming from @jpmorgan and @Chase does not match its record. Thank you to these attorneys general for taking a stand on behalf of those whose beliefs or ideology might not agree with those held by decision-makers at the bank. #ChasedAway @TheNCRF https://t.co/RwfMt9FN2r
— Sam Brownback (@SamuelBrownback) May 3, 2023
The letter continues by pointing to other examples of JPMorgan discriminating against Christian conservatives.
“In 2021, a credit card processor — owned by Chase — terminated the account of Family Council, a conservative, pro-life organization. Acting through its credit card processor subsidiary, Chase stated, ‘[u]nfortunately, we can no longer support your business,'” the letter reads.
“The processor came to that conclusion, at least in part, because it considered Family Council to be ‘High Risk.’ Family Council fit none of the processor’s examples of ‘High Risk,'” it continues.
That same year, another company owned by JPMorgan Chase — WePay — reportedly refused service to a conservative group on the basis that the group’s conservative views were equivalent to the promotion of “hate, violence, racial intolerance, [and] terrorism[.]”
The only good news here is that the bank eventually reversed this decision, but only after intense pressure was reportedly applied by the Treasurer of Missouri.
The letter concludes with the AGs acknowledging JPMorgan Chase’s right to de-bank whoever it wants, but only so long as it’s not being misleading by, as an example, pretending to be “inclusive” when it’s really not.
“[A] bank does not have the right to mislead its customers. Chase cannot call itself ‘inclusive,’ publicize that it ‘opposes discrimination in any form,’ promise to ‘prevent discrimination’ against customers, and then refuse to commit to the most basic equality of treatment and fair dealing,” the letter reads.
“No individual or organization should have to worry that religious or political beliefs will limit access to financial services or undermine financial stability. Surely Chase’s promised inclusivity should extend to these fundamental characteristics of American identity,” it continues.
The final paragraph is a call for Chase to stop its discrimination.
“No individual or organization should have to worry that religious or political beliefs will limit access to financial services or undermine financial stability. Surely Chase’s promised inclusivity should extend to these fundamental characteristics of American identity,” it read.
“Accordingly, we call on Chase to stop its religious and politically biased discrimination and start living up to its commitment to an inclusive society where everyone feels welcomed, equal, and included. Participating in the survey component of the Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index would be a positive first step,” it continued.
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Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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