Capital One won’t back down after donating to homophobic Congressman
Capital One Financial Corp has donated to the campaign of homophobic congressman Scott Garrett, it has been revealed.
The bank holding company has been under fire from LGBT groups since it was revealed that they, as well as Goldman Sachs and many other finance companies, provided campaign funds to the congressman.
Scott Garrett is the Republican representative for the 5th district of New Jersey.
He is also a member of the House Financial Services Committee and chairs “a prized Financial Services subcommittee,” which oversees the banking industry according to Politico.
In July Garrett was allegedly asked to pay his National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) dues by the chair of the House Financial services committee Jeb Hensarling.
However, Garrett refused, allegedly stating that the NRCC “actively recruited gay candidates and supported homosexuals in primaries.”
Goldman Sachs and BBVA Compass were among the financial institutions that withdrew their financial support once the congressman’s views were made know.
But Capital One has revealed in a letter to New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg that they do not intend to withdraw the donation.
As reported in Bloomberg, the letter stated “Members of Congress must take positions on a wide range of important issues and members should be evaluated by voters on issues that are important to them,
“We believe that maintaining a PAC focused exclusively on issues that are core to the banking industry is the most effective way for us to evaluate candidates.”
The letter went on to claim that Capital One is inclusive of LGBT employees, saying they aim “to build and maintain a culture that values diversity and provides a supportive business environment that offers opportunity and respect, and encourages inclusion.”
The letter was signed by Capital One executive Vice-President Andres Navarrete.
