Dean Phillips denies major donor Bill Ackman pressured him to change DEI page on campaign website

Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips on Wednesday revealed why he had made changes to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) section of his campaign website, denying it had anything to do with complaints from a major donor.

Politico reported on Tuesday that Phillips removed a section of his website promoting DEI after billionaire Bill Ackman, one of his top financial backers and a fierce critic of DEI practices, posted on social media that the presidential candidate was being "educated" on the topic.

"He is getting educated as we speak. Let's listen to what he has to say after he gets educated," Ackman replied to one X user concerned about the initial DEI language on Sunday.

Ackman again acknowledged the website's DEI drop-down page on Tuesday, suggesting Phillips "didn't understand DEI until recently" and that he expected his "statement will be revised promptly."

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That same day, Phillips' campaign took out the term DEI from its website drop-down menu and replaced it with "Equity & Restorative Justice."

During an appearance on "CNN News Central," Phillips stressed that while the drop-down title was changed, the language included in the DEI section was not. He said that although he believes in diversity, equity and inclusion, he questioned what inclusion has done for the Black community in the United States and what both parties have done to close the racial wealth gap.

"I made that change to restorative justice. By the way, nobody buys me Brianna. I am the only member of Congress who takes no PAC money, corporate or otherwise, no lobbyist money, no money from members of Congress and I don't have a leadership PAC. That makes me only one of 535 people that does not play that nauseating game. Nobody buys me. If a donor came to me and told me to do something, I would tell the donor to go pound sand."

Host Brianna Keilar surmised that Phillips was alluding to Ackman in his comments and questioned whether they were in contact.

"I have been learning from so many people over the last two months about a lot of things I wasn't aware of. Mr. Ackman is one of them, one of thousands of people that have shared perspective. He has not asked me, told me, informed me to do anything at all. I want to make it really clear," Phillips replied.

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He noted that Ackman was not "lying" when he said Phillips was being "educated," but the portrayal by the media was "false," this led to a short back and forth between Keilar and Phillips before he continued. 

"What a shame that if the media's portraying being educated as a problem; I listen to everybody. That is my whole point right here. Let me explain this whole thing: I am being educated. But I'll tell you the most important education I have received is how the Black community has been suffering because of the long tail of slavery that we have never rectified and never repaired," he added.

A statement released by Phillips campaign spokesperson Katie Dolan insisted that the language change did not result from Ackman's criticism or a request from him or his staff.

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"DEI now means such divergent things to different people that it is no longer descriptive. Instead of an academic discussion of a phrase our campaign prefers to focus on the urgent need to address and redress racial disparities — the policy substance of which remains completely unchanged on our site," Dolan said.

"We believe the current accordion drop-down button 'Equity and Restorative Justice' provides an unambiguous description of the campaign's goal of an America where all people live in economic security and social dignity," she added.