Missouri Divests from BlackRock Over ‘Woke Political Agenda’

Missouri is the latest state to divest from BlackRock, citing the multinational financial firm’s commitment to a “woke political agenda.”

Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick told Fox Business that the Missouri State Employees’ Retirement System (MOSERS) sold all public equities managed by BlackRock. Missouri is pulling a whopping $500 million from the asset manager.

Fitzpatrick explained the decision in a statement to Fox Business, remarking  “Fiduciary duty must remain the top priority for investment managers—a duty some of them have abdicated in favor of forcing a left wing social and political agenda…”

“We should not allow asset managers such as BlackRock, who have demonstrated that they will prioritize advancing a woke political agenda above the financial interests of their customers, to continue speaking on behalf of the state of Missouri,” Fitzpatrick added. 

Consumers’ Research Executive Director Will Hild voiced support for Fitzpatrick’s decision, telling the Daily Wire that BlackRock is “crippling American energy companies and driving our nation into our current energy crisis.” 

Louisiana recently announced that they were also divesting nearly $800 million from BlackRock over their Environmental Social Governance (ESG) political activism. 

South Carolina has also pledged to divest $200 million from BlackRock by the end of 2022, similarly citing the asset manager’s political activism. South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis remarked, “It is imperative that we stand up to BlackRock and resist the pressure to simply fall into line with their leftist worldview.”

Consumers’ Research has launched multiple advertising campaigns against the financial firm, which is led by CEO Larry Fink. Consumers’ Research has charged that the global financial firm is the “architect of woke capitalism” and that it is “destroying America from within.”

🚨 @BlackRock is working to destroy America from within…

From record-high gas prices to our housing market in crisis, all roads lead to BlackRock.https://t.co/c8u13TL5uO pic.twitter.com/kuB1XYyXry

— Will Hild (@WillHild) August 17, 2022

Spencer Lindquist is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerLndqst and reach out at slindquist@breitbart.com.