A GOP presidential hopeful isn't putting his money where his mouth is: reports

Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy owns “valuable investments in many companies” that embrace the socially conscious practices that he has slammed in a book and his campaign, the New York Times reported today.

Ramaswamy, a 37-year-old tech entrepreneur, has been making headlines attempting to run to the right of Trump on the culture war and many other issues, as Raw Story reported.

But the Times report cited financial disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission — first revealed today by Raw Story — to show that his anti-woke rhetoric isn’t backed up with his investments.

“Ramaswamy has caught the interest of primary voters with fiery critiques of the socially conscious practices of U.S. corporations, which he laid out in a book, “Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam,” the Times reported.

“But Mr. Ramaswamy himself owns valuable investments in many companies that have embraced environmental, social and governance principles, known as E.S.G. — the kinds of 'woke' corporate practices he decries.”

And the Times added this:

“While many of the companies in which Mr. Ramaswamy holds an interest are household names, they are also leaders in the corporate movement to address social and environmental issues."

The outlet added:

“Among the companies that Mr. Ramaswamy is invested in are Microsoft (his holdings are valued from $1 million to $5 million), Home Depot ($250,000 to $500,000), Lockheed Martin ($500,000 to $1 million) and Waste Management ($500,000 to $1 million). All adhere to various E.S.G. principles, according to reports posted on their websites.”

It is not the first time in his fledgling campaign that Ramaswamy has been called out for inconsistencies between his business activity and political rhetoric. In May, CNBC reported that the asset management company he co-founded was courting GOP officials despite his calls for businesses to stay out of politics.

“Ramaswamy built his White House bid around urging companies to stay out of politics,” CNBC reported. “What he doesn’t tell voters is the asset management firm he co-founded has engaged more with GOP officials behind the scenes than was previously known, according to private email correspondence reviewed by CNBC.”

The Times reported that Tricia McLaughlin, a senior adviser to Mr. Ramaswamy, said that he did not manage his own stock portfolio.

“The first time Vivek learned of these positions was when he saw this financial disclosure report,” Ms. McLaughlin said on Friday. “Vivek’s stock portfolio is independently managed by a third party. The filer has authority to make trades and invest in stocks without his expressed consent or knowledge.”