Bernie Moreno Has Had Enough of Cincinnati’s DEI: ‘Must Be a Better Steward of Public Funds’

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is taking issue with a new policy adopted by the Cincinnati City Council, the DEI Procurement Ordinance, calling it “potentially illegal and wasteful” in a July 2 letter to Democrat Mayor Aftab Pureval.

Moreno went into detail about the waste involved, writing that “the DEI Procurement Ordinance expands an already bloated DEI bureaucracy at City Hall and creates a new office that will likely subject all the City of Cincinnati’s contracts to a DEI analysis.”

“The City spends roughly three to five million dollars annually on DEI initiatives, grants, and departments with DEI policy objectives. These public dollars should be used to address real problems such as the City’s $30 million budget deficit or to protect citizens and businesses from violent crime,” Moreno continued.

The text of the ordinance, No. 202601864, mentions ordaining a new “Department of Economic Inclusion and Procurement” and also references “an Equitable Opportunity to Compete for Contracts and Subcontracts.”

Moreno insisted that the “City of Cincinnati must be a better steward of public funds.”

He noted that he agrees with President Donald Trump that “DEI activities are not only unethical and often illegal, but also cause inefficiencies, waste, and abuse within entities that engage in such practices…[and] also create unnecessary costs by reducing the pool of available labor by artificially limiting companies to hiring or promoting certain individuals, suppliers, or intermediaries based on their race or ethnicity.”

The president has signed multiple executive orders cracking down on diversity, equity, and inclusion within the federal government, including contractors. The Department of Justice is also involved, issuing a memorandum last July for “recipients of federal funding regarding unlawful discrimination.”

Last month, the DOJ Office of Legal Counsel concluded that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s disparate-impact guidelines violate the Constitution, as they “pressured employers to engage in racial discrimination.”

Moreno urged Pureval to “review these documents,” as the City “receives significant federal funds.”

Citing the ordinance itself, the senator pointed out that the City “[a]mazingly” offers quite the admission with an explanation that the “goal of this restructuring is not to reduce the City’s focus on inclusion. Instead, it is intended to strengthen it.”

“Additionally, the adoption of this Ordinance represents a gross misallocation of resources at a time when the city faces a surge in violent crime, including multiple recent homicides, a mass shooting, and a persistent law enforcement recruitment crisis that undermines public safety,” Moreno also wrote.

“Instead of fueling divisive social experiments, these public funds should be redirected to protecting Cincinnatians and restoring order to Ohio’s streets.”

The senator is looking for a response providing the exact amount of federal funds that Cincinnati received for fiscal years 2024, 2025, and 2026; the projected cost of the ordinance; the process for which the Department of Economic Inclusion and Procurement will seek applications, review, and award contracts; how the city is complying with the DOJ memorandum mentioned above; and the city’s most recent law enforcement professional staffing data.

Moreno was vocal about Cincinnati last year, raising concerns about a brutal beatdown that left a woman severely injured. The story gained national attention, including from the DOJ. Of seven suspects arrested, five ultimately pled guilty.

Cincinnati has also been plagued by concerns this year, including mayhem on baseball’s Opening Day and a damning investigative report out against now former Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge that led to her dismissal. Theetge has since appealed to get her job back.

The Daily Signal reached out to the mayor’s office but did not receive a response in time for publication.