Share

Report: Costco Rejects $500 Donation for Children's Charity Because It Came from Gun Seller

Share

One California retailer is crying foul after its donations to a Costco-supported charity were returned.

As Town Hall‘s Charlie Richards reported, Sacramento Black Rifle has a long history of giving to charitable organizations, including five years of donating to the Children’s Miracle Network via Costco’s annual fundraiser.

In return for the financial support, Costco locations where the donations were made displayed banners with the gun store’s name. This year, however, manager Nick Robertson said Costco representatives informed him that the Citrus Heights location would no longer permit Black Rifle’s banner.

He claims he was first told an employee complained about the presence of a gun seller’s name on a banner in the store, though the company later cited a “customer complaint” as the impetus for its decision.

As a result, the $500 earmarked for charity was returned in the form of the check Black Rifle wrote to the Children’s Miracle Network accompanied by an explanatory letter.

“So they have taken a corporate stand!” Black Rifle wrote in a Facebook post last week. “To be clear this didn’t just happen to our CA store. They took our banner down at all store locations we had them hanging in.”

When another Costco heard of the controversy, representatives from that location paid Robertson a visit to tell him they would be glad to accept his donation.

Though the Roseville location initially indicated Costco did not have a corporate policy against hanging banners from gun stores, that store soon reached the same decision as the Citrus Heights location.

Should Costco have the right to deny certain banners in its stores?

Again, the Black Rifle manager said he received a letter along with his check. The Roseville location cited “Costco Wholesale’s Regional Office direction” as the reason for the reversal.

https://www.facebook.com/gunpolicy/videos/1688876294537482/

At least one other Costco location followed suit. In Reno, Nevada, a retailer left Black Rifle’s banner hanging for about a month before also citing a complaint that led to the decision to remove it and issue a refund.

A manager at the Roseville Costco said he could not speak about the matter when reached for comment by Town Hall.

Sacramento Black Rifle reacted to what it considered partisan attacks by individuals suggesting it had fabricated the responses from Costco.

Related:
Photos: Ivanka Cuts Classically Elegant Figure While Playing Key Role in FIFA Club World Cup Kickoff

“It’s funny the liberals that are calling this letter fake,” the company wrote in a comment on its Facebook post.

The company took the opportunity to tie in a common argument among some conservatives, including President Donald Trump.

“It’s kinda like CNN reporting without gathering facts lol but using ‘unnamed sources,'” the business wrote.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , ,
Share
Chris Agee is an American journalist with more than 15 years of experience in a wide range of newsrooms.
Chris Agee is an American journalist with more than 15 years of experience in a variety of newsroom settings. After covering crime and other beats for newspapers and radio stations across the U.S., he served as managing editor at Western Journalism until 2017. He has also been a regular guest and guest host on several syndicated radio programs. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife and son.
Birthplace
Virginia
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Texas Press Association, Best News Writing - 2012
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Journalism - Averett University
Professional Memberships
Online News Association
Location
Arizona
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment




Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

Conversation