27 Apr Bank of America Misled Customers, Investors on Direct Donations to Planned Parenthood
2ndVote has released documentation challenging Bank of America’s defense of its contributions to Planned Parenthood.
In a letter recently obtained by 2ndVote, the president of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation apparently responded to a customer concerned with the bank’s support for Planned Parenthood:
Bank of America does not make any direct grants to Planned Parenthood.
Bank of America did contribute over $50,000 in what appears to be so-called “matching gifts” to the abortion giant through its foundation in 2017.
However, archived webpages for Planned Parenthood fundraising events in New York City list Bank of America as a corporate sponsor. A webpage announcing Planned Parenthood’s centennial anniversary celebration on May 2, 2017 includes Bank of America in a list of “corporate sponsors.” The event was advertised as a “once-in-a-lifetime gala to benefit Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood of New York City.”
Furthermore, Bank of America is highlighted on a similar webpage as a “bronze sponsor” for Planned Parenthood’s “Spring Into Action Gala” on May 1, 2018.
Yesterday, representatives from the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Free Enterprise Project attended Bank of America’s annual shareholder meeting in Charlotte, NC. During the question-and-answer session, National Center’s Justin Danhof asked CEO Brian Moynihan, “Can you confirm that Bank of America only contributes to Planned Parenthood through employee matching?”
Moynihan declined to answer, deferring instead to Bank of America’s Global Head of Environmental, Social & Governance Andrew Plepler. A statement later released by Danhof describes the interaction:
Plepler gave me a canned answer that repeated the half-truth about donating to Planned Parenthood via the company’s matching gift program. When I tried to interject that this wasn’t true – and indicated that I had evidence of Bank of America’s direct funding for Planned Parenthood, company officials cut me off.
When I interjected that Plepler was lying, Moynihan angrily bellowed that he was telling the truth. Clearly, it’s Moynihan who has an issue with the truth.
In a statement released to the media, 2ndVote Executive Director Robert Kuykendall said:
Bank of America has portrayed to customers and investors that its financial support for Planned Parenthood is limited to matched gifts through its charitable foundation. However, our research has uncovered Bank of America sponsorships of posh fundraising galas in New York benefitting Planned Parenthood’s abortion business.
It appears Bank of America has been content to pass the buck and blame employees, rather than admit the company directly helps advance Planned Parenthood’s abortion agenda. Incredibly, this is happening in a state where Planned Parenthood activists have successfully pushed for legislation allowing abortion up until the moment of birth.
First, we’re calling on Bank of America to end all financial support for Planned Parenthood. Secondly, the company should be accountable to its shareholders and customers. Every child who loses his or her life in a Planned Parenthood clinic, Bank of America loses a potential account holder. Investors and account holders deserve to know if the company is using their investments and corporate profits to directly fund abortion.
All documentation for this story can be found on our landing page here.
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