WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, praised Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton’s determination that Citigroup’s antigun discriminatory policies of refusing to conduct business with Constitutionally-protected firearm businesses violates state law.
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed SB 19, the Firearm Industry Nondiscrimination (FIND) Act, into law in 2021, which requires corporations competing for municipal contracts in The Lone Star State to certify they do not hold discriminatory policies against lawful firearm businesses. Citigroup submitted a certification letter attesting they do not hold such policies. Their own website, however, demonstrates that the corporate bank refuses business with firearm businesses that do not comply with their unconstitutional restrictions, including age-based gun bans, unlawful magazine restrictions, and bump stock bans (which was recently ruled unconstitutional in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.)
“The firearm industry is grateful for Attorney General Paxton’s steadfast commitment to protecting the Second Amendment rights of Texans and his refusal to bow to the corporate ‘woke’ agendas that seek to eliminate the Constitutional rights of all Americans,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “Attorney General Paxton’s determination that Citigroup is, in fact, unlawfully discriminating against firearm businesses tells these corporate entities that the Second Amendment is not for sale.”
The FIND Act requires corporations seeking to do business with the State of Texas and local governments to certify that they hold no policies that discriminate against firearms or ammunition companies and will not implement any such policies while the contracts are in force. The law ensures that taxpayer-funded contracts aren’t used to benefit policies that discriminate and deny services to firearm and ammunition-related businesses. Texas taxpayers won’t be burdened with funding discriminatory policies that undermine their rights and throttle the businesses that provide the means to exercise those rights.
