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South Carolina attorney general Alan Wilson announced this week that his office had joined nineteen other states in urging mega-retailer Costco to terminate its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies – which they assert violate state and federal anti-discrimination laws.
In the letter to the company’s leadership, the attorneys general emphasized that Costco’s motto – “do the right thing” – stands in direct opposition to its practices. The letter further instructed the Big Box retailer to provide a response within thirty (30) days affirming “the repeal of its DEI policies or providing an explanation for their continuation.”
“Costco’s DEI policies may have a fancy name, but at their core, they’re about discrimination, not diversity,” said Wilson said in a statement. “America was built on the idea that individuals are judged by their character and contributions, not the color of their skin. Costco should focus on merit, not woke politics.”

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The prosecutors touted the U.S. supreme court’s recent decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard – which struck down race-based preferences and classifications – and in particular justice Clarence Thomas‘ opinion in that case. That decision “reaffirmed that such practices contradict the principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution – which guarantee that all individuals are created equal and must be treated equally under the law.”
In light of legal challenges and public pressure, numerous companies including Amazon, Ford, McDonald’s, Meta and Walmart, have either abandoned or reevaluated their DEI policies in the recent months – but Costco’s board of directors unanimously opposed a shareholder proposal to study the financial risks associated with these policies.
“Costco’s refusal to step away from discriminatory practices not only risks lawsuits but also jeopardizes the trust of its customers, employees, and investors,” Wilson said. “The supreme court has made it crystal clear: eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it.”
The attorneys general have also requested Costco redirect its focus to other pressing issues – including allegations of slave labor in its supply chain – as opposed to “clinging to policies that sow division and violate the law.”
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THE LETTER…
(S.C. Attorney General’s Office)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from J. L. Mann High School in 2021. She is currently a senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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4 comments
Just your everyday “small government” AG using his power to try and force a private business to do bend to his whims
What a waste of state resources. Can you spend more time prosecuting criminals and defending our senior citizens from scammers and conmen?
What right do you have to tell a private business who they can and cannot hire, and what is best for their business? Typical Republican, we will tell you how to run your business, now give me a big contribution.
“America was built on the idea that individuals are judged by their character and contributions…”
Haha. A lot of people in power (for example, many elected officials in South Carolina) should be glad that statement isn’t really true.
Is Wilson just bored or is he trying to score points with Trump?? Why else would the SC AG give a damn about what DEI policies Costco has?? Wilson should know that an Executive Order has no authority over the operations of a private company. As long as ok with management and its shareholders, Costco is well within its rights to allow DEI. I never thought I’d live to see the day that a Republican would try and tell a corporation what to do. The GQP used to hammer the Dims over the same thing.