Big Sky Times

Helena – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and 18 other state attorneys general on May 3 called on JPMorgan Chase & Co. (Chase) to stop discriminating against customers due to their religious beliefs or political affiliations.

In a letter to Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, the attorneys general argue that while Chase touts its openness and inclusivity, their discriminatory behavior proves otherwise. The bank has publicly said that it “opposes discrimination in any form” and “promote[s] an inclusive society where everyone feels welcomed, equal and included.” However, the company has a pattern of targeting and denying service to religious and conservative-leaning customers.

“Chase has not extended its openness and inclusivity to everyone,” the attorneys general wrote. “The bank’s brazen attempt to condition critical services on a customer passing some unarticulated religious or political litmus test flies in the face of Chase’s anti-discrimination policies. Worse, it flies in the face of basic American values of fairness and equality.”

Last year, Chase abruptly closed the checking account of a faith-based nonprofit organization – the National Committee for Religious Freedom (NCRF). Chase told the NCRF they would only restore the account if they provided a list of their donors, a list of political candidates the organization planned to support, and an explanation of the criteria they used to determine endorsements and support. In another instance, WePay, a company owned by Chase, refused service to a conservative group because WePay equated conservative views with “hate, violence, racial intolerance, [and] terrorism[.]” That decision was only reversed after pressure from the Treasurer of Missouri.

The coalition also points out that Chase has refused proposals that would demonstrate a commitment to openness like requests from the National Center for Public Policy Research to disclose its policies for closing accounts and to participate in the Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index’s survey component. The bank’s actions also reveal a concerning double standard. While they refuse to participate in the Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index survey, the company prides itself on a top score in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, which is described as “[l]eading the fight for LGBTQ+ rights[.]”

The Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index report also revealed that Chase has “unclear or imprecise policies” that allow it to “deny service for arbitrary or politically biased reasons,” the bank faced backlash from shareholders and outside groups for refusing to disclose and investigate such policies.

“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,” the attorneys general wrote. “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.”

Attorney General Knudsen joined attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia in sending the letter.

Click here to read the letter.

Original source can be found here.