Coke isn’t it for some Georgia lawmakers.
A group of eight Republican state legislators sent a letter to the president of the Georgia Beverage Association over the weekend asking to have Coca-Cola products removed from their offices after the company’s CEO criticized the state’s controversial new voting law.
“Given Coke’s choice to cave to the pressure to an out-of-control cancel culture, we respectfully request all Coca-Cola Company products be removed from our office suite immediately,” the group said in a letter that was obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The beverage giant, which is headquartered in Atlanta and employs about 4,000 Georgians, has provided free drinks for lawmakers’ offices for decades, the AJC noted.
Gov. Brian Kemp, meanwhile, told reporters Coke and other corporate critics of the new voting law “may be scared of Stacey Abrams and Joe Biden and the left, but I am not.”
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The harsh words came after Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey put out a statement ripping the new law last week, and told CNBC, “Let me be crystal clear and unequivocal, this legislation is unacceptable.”
Quincey’s comments came after prodding by activist groups for companies to speak out.
Coca-Cola was among the companies former President Donald Trump called for Republicans to boycott over the weekend because of their opposition to the Georgia law.
“Don’t go back to their products until they relent. We can play the game better than them,” the renowned Diet Coke aficionado said in a statement Saturday.
On Monday, former White House adviser Stephen Miller tweeted a picture of himself and Trump in the former president’s office in Florida, with what appeared to be a Coke bottle behind a phone on his desk.
Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan was asked on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday if he was concerned that pressure being put on companies from both sides of the aisle could be bad for business in Georgia.
“I think it’s up to companies and corporations to make the best decisions they can for their customers and for their shareholders. And ultimately, those are the folks that are gonna hold them accountable. If they’re making good decisions, I think their shareholders and their customers will respond well,” Duncan said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
