After Pocketing Over $2 Million from Home Depot, Helena Foulkes Says She “Doesn’t Have Any Concerns” About Its Trump Ties, ICE Raids, and Anti-Abortion Donations

PROVIDENCE – In an interview with WPRI today, Helena Foulkes – who collected over $2 million as a Home Depot board member from 2013 to 2021 – told Rhode Islanders she “doesn’t have any concerns” about the company’s political activities. She should.

While Foulkes sat on the board, Home Depot’s PAC funneled money to anti-abortion politicians and gave to Senator Tom Cotton’s congressional campaign. Since she left, the PAC has continued to fund MAGA Republicans, including donating to the National Republican Congressional Committee just last year. Home Depot’s co-founder Bernie Marcus, who gave millions to pro-Trump super PACs, has been among Trump’s most prominent billionaire backers.

Coverage of the company describes Home Depot as “the company most caught up in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.” And when Stephen Miller personally named Home Depot as a priority for ICE raids and a man was killed fleeing ICE agents at a Home Depot in California, the company stayed quiet. So did Foulkes.

In January, new reporting revealed that data used by Home Depot’s surveillance vendor, Flock Safety, has been used in ICE enforcement investigations. Despite questions from investors about how its surveillance data is shared with immigration enforcement, Home Depot declined to comment or give answers. Foulkes still has no concerns.

“Helena Foulkes says she has no concerns about Home Depot’s support for Donald Trump, its anti-abortion PAC money, or the ICE raids at its doorstep. After pocketing over $2 million from the company, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised by her refusal to call out Republicans’ bad behavior,” said Sophie Mestas, McKee campaign spokesperson. “From bankrolling MAGA Republicans to profiting from the opioid epidemic, Foulkes has shown us again and again that she is more comfortable protecting corporate interests than standing up for the people of this state. Rhode Islanders deserve a governor whose values aren’t for sale.”