Ohio AG Dave Yost to Costco: Drop your diversity programs or else

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost joined 18 other Republican state attorneys general to push Costco Wholesale to abandon its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, citing concerns about discrimination and legal risks.

In a letter sent to Costco CEO Ron Vachris, the attorneys general demanded that within 30 days, the popular retailer repeal its DEI policies or explain why it hasn’t.

“Although Costco’s motto is ‘do the right thing,’ it appears that the company is doing the wrong thing — clinging to DEI policies that courts and businesses have rejected as illegal,” the letter said. “Costco should treat every person equally and based on their merit, rather than based on divisive and discriminatory DEI practices.”

Other companies, such as Meta, Ford Motor, JP Morgan Chase and Amazon, ditched their DEI programs or stopped participating in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s corporate equity index.

But Costco doubled down on its program. Ninety-eight percent of Costco shareholders voted against an investor proposal from a conservative think tank that urged management to investigate the business risks of its diversity initiatives.

The Republican attorneys general sent the letter after President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing government agency chiefs to dismantle DEI policies at federal agencies, federal contractors and in the private sector.

Yost, who is term limited from seeking another turn as Ohio AG, announced he’s running for governor in 2026. Yost is expected to face competition in the GOP primary.

Information from USA TODAY and Reuters is included in this report.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost pressures Costco to drop DEI

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