Citibank, a member of CitiGroup, has agreed to drop its biased policy of refusing accounts of lawful firearms businesses in response to the Second Amendment Foundation’s boycott. Citibank will now treat “small firearms businesses” the same as other businesses “using the same standards” according to a Citibank media statement.
“This is a sweet victory for all law-abiding gun owners across the country,” proclaimed Alan Gottlieb, Founder of the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF). “It ends more than a decade of silent discrimination, and I couldn’t be more pleased.”
This battle began with a February 7, 2000 letter from Citibank to the Nevada Pistol Academy stating that their recently approved account would be closed in ten days “due to Citibank not maintaining accounts for businesses that deal in weapons.” This letter revealed an otherwise secret policy of refusing accounts from lawful federally licensed firearm-related businesses.
While this arbitrary discrimination was originally thought to be only a regional decision, Citibank vice president of public affairs, Mark Rodgers, recently admitted this was an ongoing, national policy. He also stated that this hidden policy dates to at least the early 1990s.
“Now this policy is ended,” stated Gottlieb. “This is the second major boycott victory for the Second Amendment Foundation, the first was against Columbia Sportswear for their corporate donation to an anti-gun organization several years ago. Columbia Sportswear has been solidly pro-gun rights ever since.”
Citibank is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of CitiGroup, a worldwide corporation that handles credit cards, as well as corporate and consumer banking accounts. CitiGroup includes Citibank, CitiGroup Foundation, CitiFinancial, Global Corporate & Investment Banking, Primerica Financial Services, Salomon Smith Barney, SSB Citi Asset Management Group, Travelers Property Casualty Corp., and Travelers Life & Annuity.
“This boycott victory should help deter other businesses from enacting similar discriminatory practices in the future,” concluded Gottlieb.”