April 1 (Reuters) - Facing criticism for staying largely quiet or being vague about a
new controversial voting law in Georgia, some major U.S. companies came out with strong
statements against the restrictions, which civil rights groups say unfairly target Black
and other racial minority voters.
Companies including Atlanta-based Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines were facing boycott
calls, while a campaign from dozens of leading Black executives pushing for corporations
to take a stand added to the growing critical chorus.
Below are statements from various companies and their executives on the Georgia
voting law:
Company Statement
Coca-Cola Co : CEO James Quincey called the law "unacceptable" and "a
step backwards." He told CNBC the law is "wrong and it
needs to be remedied." (bit.ly/31AmxK7)
Delta Air Lines Inc : CEO Ed Bastian blasted the law: "The entire rationale
for this bill was based on a lie: that there was
widespread voter fraud in Georgia in the 2020
elections." He said the law was "unacceptable", and did
not match Delta's values. (bit.ly/2PsD3cD)
It was a course reversal for Delta, which had earlier
praised the law even as it acknowledged having concerns.
(bit.ly/3sHTyQt)
Citigroup Inc "As an American, I am appalled by the recent voter
suppression laws passed in the state of Georgia," Chief
Financial Officer Mark Mason said. "I see it as a
disgrace that our country's efforts to keep Black
Americans from engaging fully in our Constitutional
right to vote continue to this day." (bit.ly/3rBWT2d)
Apple Inc "Apple believes that, thanks in part to the power of
technology, it ought to be easier than ever for every
eligible citizen to exercise their right to vote. We
support efforts to ensure that our democracy's future is
more hopeful and inclusive than its past," CEO Tim Cook
said in a statement.
Microsoft Corp Company President Brad Smith said provisions of the law
signed last week "unfairly restrict the rights of people
to vote legally, securely, and safely." (bit.ly/2PLJlUB)
Alphabet Inc "We're concerned about efforts to restrict voting at a
local level and we strongly support the John Lewis
Voting Rights Advancement Act," Google's senior
vice-president of global affairs Kent Walker said. (bit.ly/3whFU8S)
Merck & Co Inc The drugmaker tweeted a statement from CEO Kenneth
Frazier taking a stand on the Georgia law, saying
"Democracy rests on ensuring that every eligible voter
has an equal and fair opportunity to cast a ballot, free
from restrictions that have a discriminatory impact." (bit.ly/2QY3jfm)
American Express Co CEO Steve Squeri said the company stands "against any
efforts to suppress voting which is a fundamental right
that belongs to all Americans," and was in support of
former CEO's Kenneth Chenault's call for corporations to
take a harder stance against voting restrictions. (bit.ly/2PLfewz)
Cisco Systems Inc CEO Chuck Robbins tweeted "Governments should be working
to make it easier to vote, not harder. Ensuring equal
#VotingRights isn't a political issue, it's an issue of
right and wrong." (bit.ly/3ugvbth)
BlackRock Inc CEO Larry Fink said "BlackRock is concerned about
efforts that could limit access to the ballot for
anyone. Voting should be easy and accessible for ALL
eligible voters. (bit.ly/2Oi2Fsc)
Home Depot Inc "We believe that all elections should be accessible,
fair and secure and support broad voter participation.
We'll continue to work to ensure our associates, both
in Georgia and across the country, have the information
and resources to vote," the company said in a statement.
JPMorgan Chase & Co "We regularly encourage our employees to exercise their
fundamental right to vote, and we stand against efforts
that may prevent them from being able to do so," CEO
Jamie Dimon said in a statement.
(Reporting by Uday Sampath and Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb
Chakrabarty and Bernard Orr)
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