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Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is demanding answers from the mayor of Cincinnati about the city’s recently enacted law that restructures procurement under the Department of Economic Inclusion and Procurement, arguing that taxpayers should not be subsidizing what he calls the growth of DEI’s potentially illegal administration.
“Taxpayers should never foot the bill for DEI’s revived policies or efforts,” Moreno wrote in a letter to Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval on Thursday obtained by Fox News Digital. “Cincinnati taxpayers deserve a government that rewards competence and merit, not politically driven appropriations or preferences based on race or ethnicity.”
At the heart of the issue is a city ordinance approved by the Cincinnati City Council in June that creates the Department of Economic Inclusion and Procurement, which Moreno says expands the city’s DEI control and can include DEI considerations in the contract process. According to city documents cited by Moreno, the restructuring will streamline the city’s contracting process while maintaining its focus on DEI.
In the letter, which was also sent to the Justice Department, Moreno said the law comes as the Trump administration criticizes the federal government’s DEI programs and said they “totally ignore” the Justice Department’s warning about engaging in “unlawful discrimination.”
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Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is seeking answers from Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval about the city’s recently enacted legislation creating the Department of Economic Inclusion and Procurement. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has made ending DEI programs a top priority, signing executive orders to end DEI programs and end DEI-related hiring and training practices, as well as directing agencies to review recipients of federal funds.
“Gone are the days of selecting public contract winners based on performance,” Moreno wrote, adding that “the City of Cincinnati must be a better steward of public funds.”
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Pointing to the city’s interpretation of the ordinance, Moreno said the city intends to continue to include DEI in its contracting process.
“Incredibly, your office even admits in its statement: ‘The purpose of this reorganization is not to reduce the city’s focus on inclusion. Rather, it is intended to strengthen it,'” Moreno wrote. “Ohioans deserve to know that their hard-earned taxpayer dollars are being given to individuals and businesses based on merit, not race or ethnicity,” Moreno wrote.
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Moreno asked Pureval to respond within five business days on the exact amount of federal money the city received during the 2024, 2025, and 2026 fiscal years, the proposed costs of the law and the outline of the process the new department will use when reviewing applications and awarding city contracts.
Moreno also asked for details on how Cincinnati plans to comply with the Justice Department’s guidance and its latest law enforcement workforce data, adding that the city should prioritize addressing its $30 million budget shortfall and public safety challenges instead of expanding DEI programs.
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“Additionally, the adoption of this Ordinance represents a waste of resources at a time when the city is dealing with an increase in violent crime, including recent homicides, mass shootings, and an ongoing employment crisis that undermines public safety,” Moreno wrote. “Instead of fueling divisive public trials, these public funds should be redirected to protecting Cincinnatians and restoring order to Ohio’s streets.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Mayor Pureval’s office for comment.
