Office Depot Incident Sparks Controversy in Michigan

The Office Depot in Portage, Michigan has found itself in a bit of a pickle after a printing supervisor refused to print posters for a vigil honoring Charlie Kirk. This supervisor reportedly labeled the materials as “propaganda” and subsequently canceled orders that had already been paid for.

Matthew DePerno, a lawyer and Republican activist, disclosed that the Kalamazoo County Republicans had placed an order totaling $56.17 at 2:24 PM. However, just three hours later, a printing supervisor named Beryl called the organizer, informing them that their order would not be fulfilled.

DePerno took to social media, expressing his frustration. “Hey @officedepot @officemax. Do you find this acceptable?” he posted along with a video from inside the store and a copy of the canceled order receipt. His post garnered over 100,000 views by Friday evening.

Today is 2:24 PM, Kalamazoo County Republican Party #kgop I ordered a poster of #charliekirk For tonight’s all night. At 5:30, the printing supervisor (the man on the left) called and said he had refused to print the poster because it was “propaganda.” Hey @officedepot… pic.twitter.com/pkhaq2oqda

– Matthew S. Depeno, Esq. (@mdeperno) September 12, 2025

In response to the canceled order, the group turned to FedEx, where the staff printed the posters at no cost and offered apologies for the situation with Office Depot. Following the incident, Office Depot issued an apology.

In a statement, the company acknowledged that the behavior of its employees was “completely unacceptable” and did not align with Office Depot’s values. They expressed regret over the unfortunate situation and stated they had reached out to DePerno to address the issue. The company also confirmed that the employees involved were no longer part of the organization.

“Upon learning of the incident, we immediately contacted our customers, addressed their concerns, and sought to fulfill their order,” Office Depot spokespersons explained. “We have also initiated an internal review to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

Meanwhile, social media users have called for a boycott of the office supply chain. Comments like, “The customer ordered and paid for the poster… Office Depot refused to print it because they said it was ‘propaganda.’ What’s going on, Office Depot?” are circulating, reflecting the public’s reaction.

Attempts to contact Office Depot for additional comments were made.