BrennerTrump
© Expensify/Reuters/Tom BrennerExpensify CEO David Barrett • US President Donald Trump
The expense report processor Expensify is doing its best to scare its 10 million customers into voting for Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden, saying anything less is "a vote against democracy" and may lead to "civil war."

David Barrett, CEO of the San Francisco-based company, said in an email blasted out to all of Expensify's customers on Thursday that the US is "facing an unprecedented attack on the foundations of democracy itself." Anyone who votes for President Donald Trump, votes for a third-party candidate, or doesn't cast a ballot is showing that they are "comfortable standing aside and allowing our democracy to be methodically dismantled, in plain sight," he added.

Barrett didn't detail how he thinks Trump is destroying democracy, saying only that he believes the president is trying to suppress votes. As a provider of expense-management software, he said, "Expensify depends on a functioning society and economy. Not many expense reports get filed during a civil war."

Barrett made no effort to reconcile his doomsday views on Trump with the fact that Expensify is able to rank as the world's most widely used and fastest-growing expense-management platform while the current president is in charge.

Ironically, his mass email may jeopardize that position more so than Trump's re-election. In reaction, Newsmax TV host John Cardillo said he's deleting his Expensify account and will never use the software again. The Hill TV host Saagar Enjeti called Barrett's email "completely insane for a $100+ million financial services company and the logical end point of woke capital."


Another Twitter user said that, when he notified Expensify that he intends to cancel his long-time subscription, the company's response was, "To clarify, are you leaving because you dislike democracy and don't want to defend it, or is there something else?"

Barrett's email could go beyond losing some customers and alienating voters with woke capitalism. Other Twitter commenters pointed out that making a political statement to a verified list of 10 million customers has great value to a campaign, and that value would likely need to be reported as an in-kind contribution under US election laws.


"Woke tech is shooting for new heights," tweeted Aaron Ginn, co-founder of the Lincoln Network tech policy group. "Does this count as an in-kind contribution?" "I love watching woke CEOs tank their companies," said another observer.


Others supported Barrett's approach, however, saying he may benefit from "free advertising" generated by the email controversy.

There were also executives who applauded Barrett's move. CleanChoice Energy CEO Tom Matzzie, who promotes Black Lives Matter on his Twitter profile, called Barrett a "hero." Another BLM-backing entrepreneur, Thomas Fuchs of the software firm Noko, thanked Barrett and said, "I'm in the same boat - I depend on a functioning society on being able to run my business."