Moody demands Chase stop ‘discriminating’: ‘It is blatant hypocrisy’

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Attorney General Ashley Moody called on JPMorgan Chase & Co. to stop discriminating on the basis of religious or political affiliations.

“For a company to promote its inclusiveness, then arbitrarily act against those sharing a different point of view, it is blatant hypocrisy,” Moody said.

“I’m standing up for Floridians’ freedoms and demanding that JPMorgan Chase stop discriminating against certain customers based on religious beliefs.”

Moody sent a scathing letter to Chase.

In its public-facing statements, Chase markets the company’s professed openness and inclusivity. Chase touts that it “opposes discrimination in any form” and “promote[s] an inclusive society where everyone feels welcomed, equal and included,” according to the letter.

“But Chase has not extended its openness and inclusivity to everyone,” Moody said.

Moody laid out discriminatory examples, the first one being from May 2022 when Chase abruptly closed the National Committee for Religious Freedom’s checking account.

The National Committee for Religious Freedom is a “nonpartisan, faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to defending the right of everyone in America to live one’s faith freely.” The committee’s National Advisory Board includes Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim members.

Three weeks after the National Committee for Religious Freedom opened a Chase checking account, the bank sent them a letter indicating that they had “end[ed] their relationship” and Chase closed the account before the group even received the letter.

The National Committee for Religious Freedom executive director “was informed that a note in the file read that Chase employees were not permitted to provide any further clarifying information to the customer.’”

Eventually, someone from Chase contacted the National Committee for Religious Freedom to note that the bank would restore the account, but only if the committee provided the following:

• A list of their donors.
• A list of political candidates the National Committee for Religious Freedom intended to support.
• An explanation of the criteria the National Committee for Religious Freedom used to determine its endorsements and support.

Another example Moody included was Chase terminating the account of Family Council, a conservative, pro-life organization.

“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,” Moody said.

“Surely Chase’s promised inclusivity should extend to these fundamental characteristics of American identity,” she continued. “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.”

In addition to Moody, the attorneys general of the following states signed the letter: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.