HOUSTON, Sept. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CDLU's Civil Rights leader Ernesto Pichardo dispatched a scathing letter to Javier Rodriguez Soler, President and CEO of BBVA USA, for not terminating the alleged racist law firm Balch & Bingham.
"Over two months ago we called on you to immediately terminate alleged racist law firm Balch & Bingham as BBVA's outside lawyers. You have done nothing. Desecrating the memory of George Floyd for public relations purposes, BBVA ought to be ashamed to 'stand in solidarity' with a law firm that has been involved in alleged racist misconduct, targeting poor African-American children, allegedly disenfranchising African-American voters, and suppressing African-Americans in North Birmingham, Alabamafrom having their toxic property tested by the EPA," Pichardo wrote.
In 1993, Pichardo won a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decisionfor religious freedom and Civil Rights after his Afro-Caribbean faith came under attack due to blatant intolerance and discrimination by racists and religious bigots.
BBVA's Rodriguez Soler announced in early Junethat the bank would "stand in solidarity" and "side-by-side" with the Black community after the murder of George Floyd. Yet BBVA did not terminate Balch & Bingham even though the bank was provided with a detailed 14-page report, including details about a Balch partner who was convicted of money laundering and bribery.
Pichardo asks Rodriguez Soler, "Why won't BBVA truly take a bold stand against racism? Were your words from June just public relations fluff?"
Pichardo has been a member of the Board of Directors of the CDLUin 2017 about Balch & Bingham's transgressions.
