NLPC Seeks to Remove Al Gore and Tim Cook From Apple's Board of Directors

The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) has filed notices of exempt solicitation with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that urge shareholders to remove Al Gore and Tim Cook from Apple's Board of Directors.

On March 10, at Apple's annual meeting, shareholders will be asked to vote on numerous proposals including the renomination of board members.

The NLPC wants Al Gore off the board because they believe he is unqualified for the position.


Mr. Gore has little technology, financial, or leadership success. His board membership relies heavily on his climate change expertise. However, Mr. Gore's climate predictions have been mostly false; he lives a hypocritical carbon-intensive lifestyle; and his climate activism has been a tool for his personal enrichment, much of which depends on industries whose existence relies on government tax credits and subsidies. In addition, he remains vocal and active on progressive political issues, putting Apple's apolitical reputation at risk. For those reasons, shareholders should vote against his continuation as a director on Apple's board.

The NLPC wants Tim Cook off the board because they believe he has led Apple into multiple ethical scandals, made Apple dependent on China, and put user's privacy at risk by partnering with Google.

During Mr. Cook's tenure, Apple has been embroiled in a multitude of ethics scandals, which we will discuss in greater detail below. These include labor rights violations in Chinese factories, supplier ties to Uyghur forced labor in Xinjiang, and greenwashing. Unfortunately, Mr. Cook has failed to adequately explain Apple's involvement in these ethical scandals or provide a defense.

In addition, Apple's 2023 proxy statement lists "Risk Management" and "Global Operations" as two of Mr. Cook's director skills. Yet Mr. Cook has overseen poor risk management in Apple's supply chain policies, particularly regarding its overreliance on Chinese suppliers, and the Company's close relations with China's authoritarian regime – decisions that cost Apple between $4 billion and $8 billion under the communist nation's zero-COVID lockdowns.


Lastly, Mr. Cook has publicly advocated for Apple users' privacy and security. Apple's proxy statement lists "Privacy and Security" as one of Mr. Cook's director skills. But Mr. Cook has overseen a multi-billion-dollar deal to make Google, one of the largest Big Tech privacy rights violators, the default search engine on all mobile devices. This partnership sacrifices user privacy.

In addition to these filings, the NLPC is also sponsoring a shareholder proposal for the March 10 annual meeting that requests a "China Audit" of Apple's risks and operations in the Communist nation.

You can read the NLPC's full arguments in the filings linked below...

● The case for voting AGAINST Al Gore's Renomination
● The case for voting AGAINST CEO Tim Cook's Renomination
● The case for voting YES on Communist China Audit

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