Sen. Bernie Moreno on Thursday asked the Justice Department to review the Cincinnati DEI ordinance and pressed Mayor Aftab Pureval for specific funding and procedural details. Moreno’s letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, asked the city to explain how much federal money it received in recent fiscal years, provide the projected cost of the new office and outline the contracting process the department will use.
Moreno framed his demands as urgent and asked for a response within five business days, saying the ordinance expands a DEI bureaucracy and could affect how city contracts are awarded — a concern he says warrants federal attention.
Cincinnati DEI ordinance: what Moreno alleges
In a letter to Mayor Aftab Pureval, Moreno contends the ordinance establishing a Department of Economic Inclusion and Procurement will inject DEI considerations into procurement decisions. He requested the exact amount of federal funding Cincinnati received in fiscal years 2024, 2025 and 2026, the projected cost to implement the ordinance, and an outline of how the new department will evaluate applications and award city contracts.
Moreno warned the ordinance “completely ignores” Justice Department guidance on unlawful discrimination and cited recent federal actions targeting DEI programs. He wrote, “Taxpayers should never foot the bill for woke DEI policies or initiatives,” and said “the City of Cincinnati must be a better steward of public funds.” Those statements are drawn from Moreno’s letter as reported by Fox News Digital.
City rationale: restructuring and procurement goals
The ordinance, approved by Cincinnati City Council in June, creates a Department of Economic Inclusion and Procurement that city documents describe as intended to streamline contracting while preserving a focus on inclusion. Moreno cited those documents in his requests to show how the reorganization would change procurement operations.
City officials, in materials cited by Moreno, defended the move as a restructuring intended to make contracting more efficient. As the city put it: “The goal of this restructuring is not to reduce the city’s focus on inclusion. Instead, it is intended to strengthen it.” That quote appears in city explanatory documents and forms the core of the municipal defense against claims the ordinance will undermine merit-based contracting.
Budget, public safety and the political dispute
Moreno tied his concerns to Cincinnati’s broader fiscal and safety context, noting the city faces a $30 million budget deficit. He argued that at a time of strained resources and rising violent crime — which he referenced in his letter — funds should be prioritized for law enforcement and community protections rather than expanding DEI infrastructure.
In the letter Moreno wrote the ordinance “represents a gross misallocation of resources at a time when the city faces a surge in violent crime, including multiple recent homicides, a mass shooting, and a persistent law enforcement recruitment crisis that undermines public safety.” He also pointed to executive actions from the Trump administration directing agencies to review recipients of federal funding and curtail certain DEI-related hiring and training, raising questions about federal compliance.
Why it matters
The dispute touches on two issues cities nationwide are navigating: how to balance inclusion initiatives with fiscal constraints, and how federal policy shifts can complicate local reforms that rely in part on federal funds. For Cincinnati, the core questions are practical: how much federal funding will be affected, what the new department will cost to operate, and whether contracting changes could expose the city to legal or administrative challenges.
Answers could influence not just budgeting but who is eligible for municipal contracts and how those awards are evaluated. If Moreno’s requested figures show substantial federal funding tied to procurement changes, the Justice Department review he seeks could focus on whether the new department’s practices run afoul of federal nondiscrimination rules or directives about DEI activities.
What comes next and likely outcomes
Moreno’s letter asked for a response within five business days to multiple specific information requests and copied the Justice Department, asking federal officials to assess potential legal concerns. The ordinance text and related documents available on the Cincinnati Legistar site will be central to any review.
Fox News Digital reported that the senator sent the letter to both Mayor Pureval and the Justice Department and that the outlet reached out to the mayor’s office for comment. How quickly the city responds and whether the Justice Department opens a formal inquiry are open questions.
If the city provides the requested figures and procedural details, that transparency could address some of Moreno’s concerns about funding levels and contracting safeguards. If federal authorities open a review, their assessment would hinge on whether the new department’s practices risk unlawful discrimination or otherwise conflict with federal guidance cited in Moreno’s letter.
Local political pushback is likely to continue: supporters emphasize efficiency gains and preserving inclusion, while critics portray the restructuring as an unnecessary expansion of DEI priorities during tight budget conditions. For now, Moreno’s action places the initiative under heightened scrutiny and sets a short timeline for answers that could prompt further public debate or federal attention.
Source: Fox News Digital. Original reporting is available here: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/red-state-senator-drops-hammer-dem-mayor-woke-dei-ordinance-violent-crime-surges. The ordinance text is available at Cincinnati’s Legistar: https://cincinnatioh.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=8055702. Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Aftab Pureval’s office for comment.
