Local nonprofits that have received charitable contributions from Walmart are denouncing extraordinary demands from the City Council that they return the funds to protest the retail giant’s policies.
Even charity officials whose ideologies are in line with the far-left council said its position — which stems from concerns about Walmart’s wages and work conditions — is way out of line.
“We will not give the money back nor should we,” declared Joel Berg, executive director of the Coalition Against Hunger.
“Our determination of whether we ask for and take money is not how the company earned the money, it’s how they want us to spend it,” he added.
“In this case it’s on progressive values. Never has it been tied to any public-policy agenda.”
The world’s largest retailer last year spread around $3 million to more than a dozen groups that help New York City’s hungry and homeless, including City Harvest and One Hundred Black Men.
The company also gave 500,000 bottles of water and 5,000 blankets to the city’s nonprofit arm in November 2012 to assist with relief efforts following Hurricane Sandy.
Walmart said it won’t buckle to the unprecedented council demand.
“We have no intention of cutting off the support we provide to people and organizations doing such worthwhile things in this community,” said spokesman Bill Wertz.
More than half the 51-member council signed a letter on Tuesday calling on the global retailer to find another place for its philanthropy — suggesting it was doing so solely to ingratiate itself with New Yorkers.
The legislative body for years has been fighting Walmart’s efforts to open a store in the five boroughs.
“We have had it, our constituents have had it and everyone we know in this city has had it with [Walmart],” said ringleader Daniel Dromm (D-Queens), who took political correctness to the extreme by calling on charities to return the company’s contributions.
Some council members said their colleagues could end up hurting their constituents.
“Partisan politics should never stand in the way of helping organizations that serve some of the neediest New Yorkers,” said Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Queens).
“This type of propaganda is . . . absurd, politically motivated and a blatant attempt to score political points at the expense of charity.”
Staten Island Republican Vincent Ignizio said he would be happy if a Walmart were to open in his district, and that nonprofits there would be happy to accept the retailer’s donations.
“If a private corporation wants to contribute millions of dollars to charitable causes that benefit thousands of our constituents . . . I think we should just say thank you,” said Ignizio.
Council Speaker Melissa Mark- Viverito declined to comment on the company’s Sandy support.
The Mayor’s Office didn’t return multiple requests for comment.