Sen. Bernie Moreno challenges Cincinnati’s new DEI procurement ordinance

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is demanding answers from Cincinnati’s mayor about a newly enacted city ordinance that reorganizes procurement under the Department of Economic Engagement and Procurement, arguing that taxpayers should not fund what he calls a sprawling DEI bureaucracy that is potentially illegal.

“Taxpayers should never foot the bill for DEI policies or initiatives,” 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 political quotas or preferences based on race or ethnicity.”

At the heart of the problem is a city ​​ordinance Department of Economic Engagement and Procurement, which was approved by the Cincinnati City Council in June and which Moreno says would expand the city’s DEI bureaucracy and could incorporate DEI considerations into the contracting process. The restructuring will make the city’s contracting process more efficient while maintaining its focus on DEI, according to city documents cited by Moreno.

In the letter, which was also sent to the Justice Department, Moreno said the regulation comes amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on DEI programs across the federal government and argued that it “completely ignores” the Justice Department’s warning against “unlawful discrimination.”

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President Donald Trump has made dismantling DEI initiatives a priority since returning to office; He signed executive orders to eliminate DEI programs and end DEI-related hiring and training practices, and also directed agencies to review recipients of federal funds.

“The days when public contract winners are chosen based on excellence are back,” Moreno wrote, adding: “The City of Cincinnati must better manage public funds.”

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Pointing to the city’s statement on the ordinance, Moreno said the city plans to continue incorporating DEI into the contracting process.

“Surprisingly, your office even acknowledges this in its statement: ‘This restructuring is not intended to diminish the city’s focus on participation. Instead, it is intended to strengthen it,'” Moreno wrote. “Ohioans deserve to know that their hard-earned taxpayer dollars are awarded to individuals and businesses based on merit, not race or ethnicity.”

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Moreno asked Pureval to deliver within five business days the exact amount of federal funding the city is receiving in fiscal years 2024, 2025 and 2026, the projected cost of the ordinance and an outline of the process the new department will use when reviewing applications and awarding city contracts.

Moreno also requested information on how Cincinnati plans to comply with Department of Justice guidance and law enforcement’s updated personnel data, adding that the city should prioritize addressing its $30 million budget shortfall and public safety issues rather than expanding DEI initiatives.

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“Additionally, the passage of this Ordinance represents a gross misallocation of resources at a time when the city is facing a surge in violent crime, including multiple recent homicides, mass shootings, and a persistent law enforcement hiring crisis that is undermining public safety,” Moreno said. he wrote. “Instead of fueling divisive social experiments, these public funds should be directed to protecting Cincinnatians and restoring order on the streets of Ohio.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Mayor Pureval’s office for comment.