Pam Bondi threatened to prosecute private employee at Office Depot for not printing Charlie Kirk vigil flyers

[toobfreak]

God God Almighty, this is beyond stupid.

It must be if you are involved.

 

[ColonelAngus]

She was fired.

Who cares.

This is low hanging fruit.

 

[BackAgain]

I agree with Office Depot terminating the employees who wouldn't print the fliers as they were not practicing the company's customer service values. However, as a private organization, Office Depot has the right to decide what or what not to print. The federal government does not have the authority to come in and force them to print anybody's media. They have the right to refuse service just like that Christian baker has the right not to make the gay wedding cake. For decades, conservatives have fought the left over this freedom and now Bondi is trying to roll back years of progress. This is authoritarianism.

“Businesses cannot discriminate,” Bondi said, referring to the Office Depot incident. “If you wanna go in and print posters with Charlie’s pictures on them for a vigil, you have to let them do that. We can prosecute you for that.”

“I have Harmeet Dhillon right now in our civil rights unit looking at that immediately, that Office Depot had done that,” Bondi added. “We’re looking it up.”

Private companies have a constitutional right to refuse service to anyone as long as it’s for non-discriminatory reasons. However, people are pointing to recent Supreme Court rulings that appear to contradict that statute.

In 2023, the Supreme Court sided with a Colorado Christian website designer who did not want to create a website for same-sex couples, despite the state’s anti-discrimination laws. The Supreme Court said the First Amendment protected the designer from creating websites she doesn’t believe in.

MSN

No. She did not.

Notice the phrase “civil unit?”

That’s not a “prosecution.”

 

[Winston]

No. She did not.

Notice the phrase “civil unit?”

That’s not a “prosecution.”

Wow.

Our Work

www.justice.gov

Criminal Section

www.justice.gov

 

[Nobody911]

Did Bondi support someone like Kirk, who had racist views? Was it for political purposes? lol.

Pam Bondi, the U.S. Attorney General, did threaten to prosecute a private employee at Office Depot for refusing to print flyers for a vigil honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The incident involved an Office Depot employee in Michigan who declined to print the flyers, calling them "propaganda." The employee was subsequently fired by Office Depot. Bondi stated that businesses cannot discriminate against customers who want to print such materials and said the Justice Department's Civil Rights division was investigating the matter and looking into potential legal action against the business involved. She emphasized that if customers want to print posters with Charlie Kirk’s image, they must be allowed to do so, or legal consequences could follow.thehill+2

Regarding whether this is against the U.S. Constitution or American laws: The issue is legally complex. Private companies generally have the constitutional right under the First Amendment to refuse service for non-discriminatory reasons. However, Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination by places of public accommodation, does not explicitly cover political views or retailers like Office Depot, so it likely does not apply here. Additionally, recent Supreme Court rulings have upheld the right of private businesses to refuse services based on religious or conscience objections. This legal background suggests that prosecuting an employee or business for refusing printing services based on the content might not have a solid legal foundation and could conflict with constitutional free speech protections for private entities.the-independent+2

In summary:

Pam Bondi threatened prosecution in this case.

The incident did happen, with the employee refusing to print and then being fired.

Legally, private businesses can refuse service for reasons other than discrimination protected by law (race, religion, national origin).

Political content discrimination is not clearly protected under current laws.

The case is controversial and could challenge the boundaries between discrimination law and First Amendment rights.

sources:

1. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5505575-charlie-kirk-vigil-controversy/
2. Bondi to prosecute Office Depot worker who refused to print Charlie Kirk flyers
3. AG Pam Bondi eyes case against Office Depot employee who wouldn’t print Charlie Kirk flyer
4. AG Pam Bondi Says "We Can Prosecute You" for Refusing to Print Posters for Charlie Kirk Vigil
5.
6. Pam Bondi threatened to prosecute private employee at a Office Depot for not printing Charlie Kirk vigil flyers
7.
8. AG Pam Bondi eyes case against Office Depot employee who wouldn’t print Charlie Kirk flyer
9. Major First Amendment Issues Raised Following Charlie Kirk's Assassination: FAQs Answered
10. The hypocrisy of Pam Bondi - The Boston Globe
11. Bondi threatens charges over Office Depot employee who wouldn’t print Charlie Kirk flyers
12.

 

[Winston]

Did Bondi support someone like Kirk, who had racist views? Was it for political purposes? lol.

Pam Bondi, the U.S. Attorney General, did threaten to prosecute a private employee at Office Depot for refusing to print flyers for a vigil honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The incident involved an Office Depot employee in Michigan who declined to print the flyers, calling them "propaganda." The employee was subsequently fired by Office Depot. Bondi stated that businesses cannot discriminate against customers who want to print such materials and said the Justice Department's Civil Rights division was investigating the matter and looking into potential legal action against the business involved. She emphasized that if customers want to print posters with Charlie Kirk’s image, they must be allowed to do so, or legal consequences could follow.thehill+2

Regarding whether this is against the U.S. Constitution or American laws: The issue is legally complex. Private companies generally have the constitutional right under the First Amendment to refuse service for non-discriminatory reasons. However, Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination by places of public accommodation, does not explicitly cover political views or retailers like Office Depot, so it likely does not apply here. Additionally, recent Supreme Court rulings have upheld the right of private businesses to refuse services based on religious or conscience objections. This legal background suggests that prosecuting an employee or business for refusing printing services based on the content might not have a solid legal foundation and could conflict with constitutional free speech protections for private entities.the-independent+2

In summary:

Pam Bondi threatened prosecution in this case.

The incident did happen, with the employee refusing to print and then being fired.

Legally, private businesses can refuse service for reasons other than discrimination protected by law (race, religion, national origin).

Political content discrimination is not clearly protected under current laws.

The case is controversial and could challenge the boundaries between discrimination law and First Amendment rights.

sources:

1. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5505575-charlie-kirk-vigil-controversy/
2. Bondi to prosecute Office Depot worker who refused to print Charlie Kirk flyers
3. AG Pam Bondi eyes case against Office Depot employee who wouldn’t print Charlie Kirk flyer
4. AG Pam Bondi Says "We Can Prosecute You" for Refusing to Print Posters for Charlie Kirk Vigil
5.
6. Pam Bondi threatened to prosecute private employee at a Office Depot for not printing Charlie Kirk vigil flyers
7.
8. AG Pam Bondi eyes case against Office Depot employee who wouldn’t print Charlie Kirk flyer
9. Major First Amendment Issues Raised Following Charlie Kirk's Assassination: FAQs Answered
10. The hypocrisy of Pam Bondi - The Boston Globe
11. Bondi threatens charges over Office Depot employee who wouldn’t print Charlie Kirk flyers
12.

You present a good summary but there is a bigger issue here, a deeper issue and perhaps the left should seize this opportunity to put that issue on full display.

I'm told that more than 70% of the attorneys who were at the Civil Rights Division on Inauguration Day have left or will have left by the end of this month. That's approximately 250 attorneys. That is a huge number. Some of the hardest-hit sections, I'm told, are education, voting rights, special litigation. That last one is the section that investigates alleged abuse by police departments around the country.

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/12/nx-s...ghts-division-sparks-mass-exodus-of-attorneys
Look, I don't think anything screams incompetence louder that 70% of your workforce quitting. I believe Trump would have fired Bondi early on except he can't find anyone else to take the damn job. But now this? You lose seventy percent of your workforce and now, well you want to target some low-level idiot employee that has already been terminated? Is that really the best use of resources?

in essence that for decades, the Civil Rights Division has put employers and schools and owners of public housing and police departments on notice that if they don't comply with civil rights laws, if they discriminate, they could face legal action. And so without the division doing that work, department veterans say there will likely be more unlawful discrimination in all facets of life across the country that's just going to go unchecked.

**** those damn wheelchair ramps. Who cares if landlords discriminate based on race. Who gives a damn if states purposely make it difficult for minorities to vote or even register to vote. Sexual harassment in the work place, hell go for it, probably won't have to do that training anymore.

 

[BackAgain]

Wow.

Our Work

www.justice.gov

Criminal Section

www.justice.gov

Wow.

 

[BackAgain]

Wow.

Our Work

www.justice.gov

Criminal Section

www.justice.gov

Very low IQ Winnie can’t distinguish between a civil unit and civil rights department.

 

[Winston]

Very low IQ Winnie can’t distinguish between a civil unit and civil rights department.

From the OP,

Harmeet Dhillon right now in our civil rights unit

Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet K. Dhillon

www.justice.gov

This is one of seven units in the Civil Rights Division

Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet K. Dhillon

www.justice.gov

The Criminal Section investigates and prosecutes cases throughout the United States involving the interference with liberties and deprivation of rights defined in the Constitution or federal law.

 

[BackAgain]

From the OP,

Harmeet Dhillon right now in our civil rights unit

Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet K. Dhillon

www.justice.gov

This is one of seven units in the Civil Rights Division

Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet K. Dhillon

www.justice.gov

The Criminal Section investigates and prosecutes cases throughout the United States involving the interference with liberties and deprivation of rights defined in the Constitution or federal law.

Yes. The criminal section prosecutes alleged crimes. Thanks for that astounding news.

 

[Etymology gaslight]

I agree with Office Depot terminating the employees who wouldn't print the fliers as they were not practicing the company's customer service values. However, as a private organization, Office Depot has the right to decide what or what not to print. The federal government does not have the authority to come in and force them to print anybody's media. They have the right to refuse service just like that Christian baker has the right not to make the gay wedding cake. For decades, conservatives have fought the left over this freedom and now Bondi is trying to roll back years of progress. This is authoritarianism.

“Businesses cannot discriminate,” Bondi said, referring to the Office Depot incident. “If you wanna go in and print posters with Charlie’s pictures on them for a vigil, you have to let them do that. We can prosecute you for that.”

“I have Harmeet Dhillon right now in our civil rights unit looking at that immediately, that Office Depot had done that,” Bondi added. “We’re looking it up.”

Private companies have a constitutional right to refuse service to anyone as long as it’s for non-discriminatory reasons. However, people are pointing to recent Supreme Court rulings that appear to contradict that statute.

In 2023, the Supreme Court sided with a Colorado Christian website designer who did not want to create a website for same-sex couples, despite the state’s anti-discrimination laws. The Supreme Court said the First Amendment protected the designer from creating websites she doesn’t believe in.

MSN

That would make a really interesting case.