State finance bigs rip Brad Lander for pushing retailers to sell abortion pill

The top financial officers of 14 conservative states ripped city Comptroller Brad Lander Monday for pressuring major US retailers to sell the abortion pill mifepristone “without delay.”

Lander penned several letters to the CEOs of pharmacy giants and retailers including Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Albertsons, and the medical firm McKesson in July urging them to start dispensing mifepristone as soon as possible.

“By failing to become certified mifepristone dispensers, these pharmacy giants put both women’s reproductive health care and investors’ money at risk,” he said.

He said mifepristone should be available in all states where abortion is legal.

“Making mifepristone available benefits customers and employees, increases sales, and generates long-term shareholder value,” said Lander, a candidate for mayor.   

He noted that New York City’s pension funds hold over $1.3 billion in total shares of the aforementioned companies in his decision to appeal to their CEOs.

But the state financial officers — including Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar — said Lander should butt out of the marketplace and stay away from Costco.

“The Comptroller’s actions are clear attempts to politicize Costco’s business without regard for the company’s financial wellbeing,” anti-abortion finance officers wrote in a letter sent Monday to Costco CEO Ron Vachris. 

“This radical position ignores all of the business decisions that go into whether to sell a particular product— decisions that should be made by Costco’s leadership based on how it will serve their customers.”

The state officials said Costco admitted that there was no customer demand for the drug in their letter.

“We find these actions to be inappropriate. They are an attempt to launder political views through the commercial marketplace with little regard for the companies or their shareholders,” they wrote.

They urged Vachris to ignore Lander’s prodding to sell the abortion pill.

The letter was co-signed by the financial officers from Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming — all states with anti-abortion leaders in control.

Each of the 14 states has complete abortion bans or restrictions in place. 

Meanwhile, blue states including New York have become more active in expanding abortion services — including distributing abortion pills — following the Supreme Court’s controversial 2022 decision overturning the 1973  Roe vs. Wade ruling, which made women’s choice to have an abortion a federal right.

In a stunning reversal, the Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that it should be up to the states to determine whether and when a woman can terminate a pregnancy.

Other faith-based anti-abortion investors have urged retailers not to sell the abortion pill.

Lander’s office had no immediate comment on the criticism, but he’s unlikely to back down.

He warned the companies of potential harm.

“Concerns include the company’s responsiveness to a growing market opportunity, its mitigation of potential reputational risks, and its commitment to maximizing sales and long-term shareholder value,” Lander wrote in the letter to retailers.