David Barrett, the CEO of expense management software company Expensify, sent an email to all 10 million email recipients in his company’s database. The message was a simple one: if they vote for President Trump, they will be risking plunging the U.S. into civil war.
“I know you don’t want to hear this from me. And I guarantee I don’t want to say it. But we are facing an unprecedented attack on the foundations of democracy itself. If you are a US citizen, anything less than a vote for Biden is a vote against democracy,” Barrett wrote.
What gives Barrett the right to issue such an edict?
“The first amendment,” Barrett writes. “To be clear, you don’t need to listen. But the first amendment exists to encourage people like you and me to find some way to talk about the issues that matter, set aside our differences, and find a common ground…”
“Expensify depends on a functioning society and economy; not many expense reports get filed during a civil war,” Barrett writes as reasoning for the highly unusual step of sending such an email.
“I am confident our democracy (and Expensify) can survive a Biden presidency. I can’t say the same about Trump. It’s truly as simple as that,” Barrett ads.
Several users on social media (some Expensify clients) let their feelings on Barrett’s email be known:
I brought Expensify to our company 5 or 7 years ago. After all this time, I now have to find a new app for expense tracking because of your email. My vote is not the issue. Lecturing your customers crossed the line. I really was happy with Expensify.
— Holly (@Holly86390633) October 23, 2020
A. I can think for myself. B. I actually have lived in a Socialist country with government controlling everything and it was TERRIBLE. This is why I moved to US. C. People of all colors and religions r moving to US from other counties b/c US is still the BEST country IMHO.
— Jim Kogan (@jim_kogan) October 23, 2020
The data you collect on your users should not be used for your own political gain or to influence your users.
— Jennifer Lynn Lawrence (@JenLawrence21) October 23, 2020
The data you collect on your users should not be used for your own political gain or to influence your users.
— Jennifer Lynn Lawrence (@JenLawrence21) October 23, 2020
I feel badly for your republican employees who you just accused of voting against democracy. Is Expensify a “safe space” for them to work?
— Elizabeth Clor (@ElizabethClor) October 23, 2020
You can read Barrett’s email in its entirety here.