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17 States Demand Answers From Ratings Giant Morningstar Over Anti-Israel Bias
The Washington Free Beacon ^ | August 23, 2022 | Adam Kredo

Posted on 08/24/2022 11:03:58 AM PDT by Twotone

Financial services firm Morningstar "may be furthering the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel," 17 attorneys general said in a letter sent on Tuesday and obtained by the Washington Free Beacon—and they want answers as to why the firm appears to target and downgrade companies working alongside the Jewish state to combat terrorism.

The state officials say they have "serious concerns" that Sustainalytics, Morningstar’s research arm, relies on metrics that inherently portray Israel as an aggressor in its conflict with the Palestinians, and that negatively impacts any companies working with Israel to prevent terrorism.

The attorneys general—who represent 17 states including Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Arizona, and Texas—are demanding that Morningstar provide them with in-depth information about its ratings systems by the end of the month. The letter could be a first step to launching state-level lawsuits against the firm for its alleged support for the BDS movement. The letter is addressed to Jean Paul Bradshaw, a white-collar criminal defense lawyer who is representing Morningstar in the matter.

Morningstar has been dogged by accusations it is bolstering the anti-Semitic BDS movement by downgrading companies that work with Israel’s security sector. Independent experts say this behavior constitutes a key pillar of the BDS movement and could put Morningstar in violation of state laws barring support for the BDS movement. Morningstar’s company ratings serve as a central guidepost for financial investors, and those companies that are downgraded due to their relationship with Israel are at risk of losing support from big money investors.

Morningstar has acknowledged that some of its ratings products unfairly target companies working in what it calls the "occupied Palestinian territories" and has committed to eradicating this bias. The company has canceled some ratings products already and is altering others to account for bias.

(Excerpt) Read more at freebeacon.com ...


TOPICS: Israel; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Arizona; US: Florida; US: Ohio; US: Texas; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: arizona; bds; florida; israel; morningstar; ohio; sustainalytics; texas; virginia

1 posted on 08/24/2022 11:03:58 AM PDT by Twotone
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To: Twotone

Not surprising, after all...

Morningstar = Lucifer.


2 posted on 08/24/2022 11:06:54 AM PDT by Kriggerel ("All great truths are hard and bitter, but lies... are sweeter than wild honey" (Ragnar Redbeard))
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; BraveMan; cardinal4; ...

3 posted on 08/24/2022 11:20:32 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Twotone

BDS/DEI two sides of the same coin...


4 posted on 08/24/2022 11:22:34 AM PDT by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. #FJB)
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To: SunkenCiv

bump to the top


5 posted on 08/24/2022 7:16:26 PM PDT by GOPJ (Merrick's proud the DOJ & FBI are being renamed "Lavrentiy Beria Society' in honor of Joseph Stalin.)
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To: Twotone

The radical reigned, but damage was done.


6 posted on 08/25/2022 8:58:07 AM PDT by Conservat1
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
7 posted on 08/25/2022 8:59:52 AM PDT by SJackson (nations that are barren of liberties are also barren of groceries, Louis Fisher)
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