No Surprise Here: Foulkes’ Defense of Home Depot’s MAGA Ties Just the Latest in Her Record of Putting Profits Over People
From Fueling And Profiting From the Opioid Epidemic, to Maxing Out to Trump’s Enablers, Foulkes Has a Long History of Looking the Other Way to Pad the Bottom Line
PROVIDENCE – Helena Foulkes – who collected over $2 million as a Home Depot board member from 2013 to 2021 – told Rhode Islanders on Friday that she “doesn’t have any concerns” about the company’s ties to Trump and his MAGA cronies, its anti-abortion donations, or its silence around ICE raids at its doorsteps. But this is nothing new from Foulkes – for her, profits and wealthy shareholders have always come first.
As President of CVS Pharmacy, Foulkes knowingly disregarded concerns around illegal opioid sales and refused to take preventative measures, maximizing profits at the expense of Rhode Islanders’ health and safety. While Foulkes took home millions, the company doubled down on staffing policies prioritizing speed over safety and accepted $173 million in secret payments from opioid manufacturers to not restrict the flow of pills.
Foulkes also cut thousands of jobs while taking home millions as CEO of Hudson’s Bay Company. Now, the company is in creditor protection, with workers and pensioners paying the price.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that she’s spent years bankrolling the Republicans who protect corporate insiders like her, from giving thousands to Home Depot’s PAC despite its support for MAGA Republicans to maxing out donations to Mitch McConnell.
“Foulkes has demonstrated again and again that when it comes to a choice between profits and people, she will choose profits every single time. Her loyalties lie with wealthy shareholders, elite insiders, and Washington power brokers – not Rhode Island families,” said Sophie Mestas, McKee campaign spokesperson. “At a moment when Donald Trump is fueling the affordability crisis and sending violent ICE raids into our communities, our state needs leadership that puts working families first. While Foulkes has spent her career enriching herself and her corporate cronies, Governor McKee has spent his fighting to lower costs, create good jobs, and build an economy that works for every Rhode Islander – and that’s the difference voters will see clearly in this race.”
