It started with former President Barack Obama’s (D) ill-conceived Operation Choke Point. This was a misguided effort by the federal government to persuade financial firms to avoid doing business with industries not favored by some Washington politicians.
Naturally, the weapons industry fits that category.
One company that severed its relationship with gun manufacturers was Intuit. Though most well-known for its QuickBooks software, it provides a wide array of services for small businesses ranging from credit card transactions to payroll.
In 2018, Intuit joined with other companies after the tragic Parkland shooting and ended its relationship with Second Amendment-related businesses. It specifically sought to close its ties with those that operated online.
Many legal entities quickly found themselves crippled by the sudden erasure of service, unable to process electronic payments and even losing transactions that were previously authorized.
That erroneous policy recently ended. Intuit reversed its five-year protocol and is back to doing business with the gun industry, in large part thanks to a concerted effort by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who is a ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee.
Cruz sent a letter to Intuit CEO Sasan Goodarzi which was revealed by Fox Business. He termed the exclusionary practice “discriminatory” and noted the detrimental effects it had on a specific Texas business, Dawson Precision.
The senator noted the company only discovered it no longer had financial services after its payroll was submitted. Dawson Precision was told it violated Intuit’s “acceptable use policy.”
It then had to resort to issuing paper checks to employees while it searched for a replacement provider.
Cruz acknowledged that Intuit submitted to demands of business partner JPMorgan, which insisted it “create and enforce bank policies regarding firearm sellers and manufacturers.”
The senator also noted the influence from Bank of America’s anti-gun stance on the firm.
As of now, however, Intuit is back in business with the weapons industry. It is inexcusable that companies protected by the Second Amendment face financial discrimination, and this practice should be fought at every turn.