Telecoms giant AT&T under pressure to address Afiniti abuse allegations and not ‘prop up harassers’
US telecoms giant AT&T has come under fire for not addressing the sexual assault scandal enveloping tech firm Afiniti, which depends on the conglomerate for the majority of its revenue.
AT&T is thought to account for up to two thirds of Afiniti’s revenue following a 2019 deal worth more than $100m (£75m), according to the Sunday Telegraph. However, the giant has not publicly addressed allegations against Afiniti founder Zia Chishti.
Nancy Erika Smith, the lawyer representing the woman who has accused Chishti of coercing and abusing her and at least one other female Afiniti employee, urged AT&T speak up.
“Customers such as AT&T are becoming more active in rejecting the products and services of companies which enable and cover up sexual harassment, abuse and other types of discrimination,” she was quoted in the Sunday Telegraph.
“Customers and shareholders should assign responsibility to board members and the companies that prop up the harassers and enablers. Money talks and customers have a powerful voice. I hope they use it.”
Former Prime Minister David Cameron quit his role as senior adviser to the company earlier this month, citing his displeasure at how the firm had handled the allegations.
Chishti has denied all wrongdoing and said the allegations by Tatiana Spottiswoode are “particularly hurtful” because “one of my priorities [is] to see that they [women] do absolutely as well as they can”.
Former US defence chief Mike Mullen is understood to have resigned from the board, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
Other high-profile names to quit the tech firm’s board include former Hollywood executive, Andrea Wongm and former head of Thomson Reuters, Tom Glocer.
AT&T has been contacted for comment by CityA.M.