Banks Urged to 'Come Clean' on Support of Planned Parenthoodby Staff
March 20, 2008
FRONT ROYAL, Va., (christiansunite.com) -- "Bank of America continues to play word games in an attempt to mislead consumers," said Douglas R. Scott, Jr., president of Life Decisions International (LDI). "And Wachovia is not any better than Bank of America." Both corporations appear on The Boycott List, which identifies corporate supporters of Planned Parenthood.
In November 2007, LDI sent a letter to Bank of America Foundation President Andrew Plepler, which addressed the issue:
"You write that Bank of America's involvement with Planned Parenthood is driven 'primarily' by its employees. You go on to write that Planned Parenthood is one of many groups that receive funding via Bank of America's Matching Gift Program...
"In a letter to Mr. Kenneth D. Lewis dated July 30, 2003, we specifically addressed a statement repeatedly made by Paula J. Fraher, executive director of the Bank of America Foundation, which is identical to one used by you: "Our involvement with Planned Parenthood is driven primarily by our associates. This group is one of many organizations that benefit from our Matching Gift Program (emphasis added).
"Once again, we will ask the same questions that Bank of America has refused to answer over the past several years. Is the Matching Gift Program the only way in which Planned Parenthood receives support from Bank of America or any related entity? Are local banks still allowed to support the abortion-committing group? Needless-to-say, it is your use of the word "primarily" that leaves us concerned.
"As you might expect, it is important that we leave no room for miscommunication or misunderstanding. Please respond to our questions very specifically-- without ambiguity."
"As noted in the LDI letter, a response to the July 2003 request for clarification was never received," Scott said. "Several months have now passed and our November 2007 request has also been ignored. Now why does Bank of America refuse to answer our simple question?"
Scott said that Wachovia has told customers it has not made donations to Planned Parenthood for many years. Yet an article that appeared in The Weekly Standard late last year proved otherwise. "If what Wachovia has been telling customers were true, why won't someone at the corporation tell LDI the same story?" Scott asked. "We would simply ask a few questions, as we did with Bank of America, to be sure there is no room for misunderstanding due to vague rhetoric. Oddly, the Company will not give LDI the chance to ask such questions because no one will speak to us."
"We urge executives at Bank of America and Wachovia to come clean on this issue. The truth is surely not too much to ask," Scott said. Both Bank of America Corporation and Wachovia Corporation remain boycott targets. Wells Fargo, Chase and Northern Trust are some of the other financial institutions that are boycott targets due to their support of Planned Parenthood.
Life Decisions International (LDI) is dedicated to challenging the Culture of Death, concentrating on exposing and fighting the agenda of Planned Parenthood. LDI's chief project is a boycott of corporations that fund the abortion-committing giant. To learn more about Planned Parenthood, please visit LDI's website at fightpp.org
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