FOX BUSINESS: Reid Hoffman Faces Call for Ouster from Microsoft Board

NLPC’s call for LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman to be removed from the board of directors at Microsoft was the topic of a FoxBusiness.com article by reporter Fred Lucas, published today. Excerpts:

The National Legal and Policy Center is a shareholder in the company and argues that Hoffman’s political activism, as well as his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, harm the company’s image.

 

“While the National Legal and Policy Center respects Mr. Hoffman’s right to make political donations, as Microsoft shareholders, we believe his partisan political activities damage the firm’s reputation,” says a letter sent this month from Paul Chesser, director of the NLPC Corporate Integrity Project, to Sandra E. Peterson, the Microsoft legal independent director and chair of the governance nominating committee…

 

“In addition, Mr. Hoffman’s political activism, and affiliation with controversial and unethical organizations, risk alienating a significant portion of the firm’s customer base, which could be offended by Mr. Hoffman’s political activities,” the NLPC letter continues. “He often adopts a caustic and vindictive approach, which is unbecoming of a signature representative of the company, not to mention as the iconic co-founder of one of its top products.” (Microsoft is now the parent company to LinkedIn) …

 

The NLPC letter’s first objection was, “Mr. Hoffman’s ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are a significant liability to Microsoft’s reputation.”…

 

“Mr. Hoffman’s connections with Mr. Epstein present a significant liability to Microsoft’s brand,” the Friday NLPC letter to Microsoft says. The letter states Hoffman’s “unethical and brazenly political activism make him unsuitable to serve on Microsoft’s board.”

Read the full article at FoxBusiness.com.