Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News
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Nineteen state attorneys general have joined in accusing JP Morgan Chase of refusing to provide services to certain individuals and organizations based on political and religious preference.
Tuesday, the group, which is headed by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, sent a letter to Chase accusing the bank of abruptly shuttering the account of a conservative religious liberty group and calling on JP Morgan Chase to participate in the Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index as a means of proving that it accepts a diversity of thought among its clients.
“Chase cannot call itself ‘inclusive’ and say that it ‘opposes discrimination in any form,’ while simultaneously disenfranchising its clients over religious and political differences,” Cameron said in a statement.
Cameron was referring to Chase’s “Equal Opportunity, Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Statement,” which reads in part, “No form of discrimination, harassment, inappropriate or abusive conduct is tolerated by or against employees, customers, vendors, contractors or any other individuals who conduct business with JPMorgan Chase.”
The religious liberty group in question, the National Committee for Religious Freedom, alleges that Chase shut down its account without warning or rationale, only to offer to reopen the account on the condition that the group share its donor list, the names of candidates it planned to endorse, and an explanation of how the group selected the candidates it supported.
“We commend these attorneys general for calling 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,’” the committee tweeted.
We commend these attorneys general for calling 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." #ChasedAway https://t.co/hUMovzV1wl
— National Committee for Religious Freedom (@TheNCRF) May 3, 2023
The attorneys general also alleged that a Chase-owned card processor had closed the account of the Family Council, a noted pro-life group, while a second Chase company had refused service to a Missouri political action committee.
Importantly, the attorneys general did not argue that Chase operated outside of the law by closing the accounts. Rather, they allege that Chase is misleading its customers.
“Plainly, Chase has not extended the same unwavering commitment to conservatives and religious groups like NCRF,” the letter reads. “To be clear, banks generally have the right to conduct their business however and with whomever they choose. But 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.”
As of this writing, Chase had not responded to the letter specifically, but Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has previously told the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs that the company values liberty.
“We live in the greatest country in the world predicated on foundational beliefs in freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise, the sanctity of the individual, and the promise of equality and opportunity for all,” Dimon testified.