ICYMI From the Daily Mail: Sen. Ted Cruz Demands Coca-Cola Explain Why It Scrubbed All Support for Black Lives Matter From Its Website

Letter

Dear Mr. Quincey:

On an October 18th episode of my podcast, Verdict, I noted that your brand Sprite had
previously announced a $500,000 contribution to the Black Lives Matter Global Network.
Following the episode's release, Coca-Cola scrubbed several of its webpages to remove any
mention of the contribution. An analysis of the website code appears to show Coca-Cola deleted
references to the Black Lives Matter Global Network on the morning of October 19, 2023, the
day after my podcast was released.

Coca-Cola's attempt at erasing the evidence of its publicized donation is a tacit admission that
criticisms of the Black Lives Matter movement--and of Sprite's support for it--have merit.
Coca-Cola evidently wants the public to forget how it propped up a far-left group that has
refused to condemn the Hamas terrorist organization and whose representatives have openly
advocated since at least 2015, well before Sprite's June 2020 donation, "to end the imperialist
project called Israel."1

It is important for Congress to understand Coca-Cola's purpose in deleting this information from
its website. The Standing Rules of the Senate provide the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation the authority to "review and study, on a continuing basis" matters of
interstate commerce and consumer affairs.2 Therefore, please provide the documents requested
below and written responses to the questions below no later than November 15, 2023, and in
accordance with the attached instructions, noting in particular your obligation to preserve certain
records:

1. Why did Coca-Cola conceal its support of the Black Lives Matter Global Network?

2. Why did Coca-Cola not distance itself from Black Lives Matter until after my public
comments?

1 Brian Flood, Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Called for "End' of Israel in 2015, FOX NEWS (Oct. 11, 2023), https://www.foxnews.com/media/flashback-back-lives-matter-co-founder-called-end-israel-2015.
2 S. Rules XXV(1)(f), XXVI(8).

Mr. James Quincey
November 1, 2023
Page 2 of 2

3. Detail any previous or current financial commitments by Coca-Cola or its subsidiaries to
the Black Lives Matter Global Network. State whether they have been fulfilled and
whether Coca-Cola intends to financially support the Black Lives Matter Global Network
in the future.

4. Provide copies of any documents or communications referring or relating to any
statement on Coca-Cola's website about Sprite's contribution to the Black Lives Matter
Global Network, including the deletion or alteration thereof, between October 18, 2023,
and the date of your response.

5. Provide copies of any electronic logs or similar documents documenting the deletion of
references to Sprite's contribution to the Black Lives Matter Global Network from CocaCola's website.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Source