Washington, D.C.—In West Virginia, state leadership is fighting back against corporations that espouse anti-American values and work against the interests of West Virginians. On Friday, June 10, state Treasurer Riley Moore informed six financial corporations, including BlackRock Inc. and JP Morgan Chase & Co., that they will be placed on West Virginia’s Restricted Financial Institution List in 45 days. Corporations on this list are barred from entering or retaining contracts with the state and have 30 days to respond to the claim that they are boycotting the fossil fuel industry.
America First Works supports the efforts of state leaders to reject doing business with corporations that advance ESG (environmental, social and governance) investment policies and undermine the fossil fuel industry. Treasurer Moore was one of the first to demonstrate the need to recommit to fair treatment of the fossil fuel industry by leading the effort to withdraw from BlackRock funds earlier this year. With gas prices hitting record levels, we applaud him for standing up to anti-American woke corporations and fighting for West Virginians.
As the advocacy arm of the America First Policy Institute, America First Works is focused on America First policies. As fuel and energy prices hit record highs, divesting from fossil fuels is an America Last policy. This trend for financial corporations to act politically and against the interests of their shareholders and the American people must end.