Chief financial officers from 14 conservative states on Monday blasted City Comptroller Brad Lander for pressuring major U.S. retailers to sell the abortion drug mifepristone “without delay.”
Lander Wrote several letters In July, it called on the CEOs of major pharmacies and retailers, including Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Albertsons and healthcare company McKesson, to begin distributing mifepristone as soon as possible.
“By failing to become authorized distributors of mifepristone, these big pharmaceutical companies are putting both women's reproductive health care and their investors' money at risk,” he said.
He said mifepristone should be available in all states where abortion is legal.
“Making mifepristone available will benefit our customers and employees, increase revenue and create long-term shareholder value,” said mayoral candidate Lander.
In his decision to sue the CEOs, he noted that New York City pension funds hold shares in the companies listed above totaling more than $1.3 billion.
But state treasurers, including Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, have said Lander should exit the market and stay away from Costco.
“The auditor's actions are a clear attempt to politicize Costco's business while ignoring the company's financial health,” the anti-abortion financial leaders wrote in a letter sent Monday to Costco CEO Ron Bakris.
“This extreme position ignores all business decisions regarding whether to sell a particular product — decisions that should be made by Costco's management based on how it helps customers.”
State officials said Costco acknowledged in the letter that there was no customer demand for the drug.
“We believe these actions are inappropriate and an attempt to launder political opinion through the commercial marketplace with little consideration for the companies or their shareholders,” they wrote.
They urged Vakris to ignore Lander's urging to sell the abortion pill.
The letter was signed by the state treasurers of Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming – all states with anti-abortion politicians in power.
All 14 states have either total abortion bans or restrictions in place.
Meanwhile, Democratic-leaning states including New York have been more aggressive in expanding abortion services, including distribution of abortion pills, following the Supreme Court's controversial 2022 ruling that overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made a woman's choice of abortion a federal right.
In a stunning reversal in 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that states should decide whether and when women can have an abortion.
Other religious anti-abortion investors have urged retailers not to sell the abortion pill.
Lander's office did not immediately comment on the criticism, but he is unlikely to back down.
He warned companies of the potential harm.
“Among our concerns are the company's response to expanding market opportunities, mitigating potential reputational risks and working to maximise sales and long-term shareholder value,” Lander wrote in the letter to retailers.
