Delta CEO, facing backlash, calls Georgia voting law ‘unacceptable’

The CEO of Georgia-based Delta Air Lines said Wednesday that the state’s new election law overhaul is “unacceptable” and “based on a lie,” after the company faced criticism that it didn’t speak out forcefully enough in opposition to the bill when it was being considered by the state’s Republican leaders.

CEO Ed Bastian offered his assessment of the new Georgia law in a memo sent to employees less than a week after Delta officials joined other corporate lobbyists to shape the final version of a sweeping measure that could make it harder for some Georgia citizens to cast ballots. The memo, obtained by The Associated Press, comes amid a smattering of calls for consumer boycotts of Delta and other Georgia-based brands, including Coca-Cola, UPS and Home Depot. The Major League Baseball players union also has raised the possibility of moving the summer All-Star game from the Atlanta Braves home stadium.