REI Says It Made ‘Mistake’ Endorsing Burgum to Lead Interior

It’s rare for companies to make political endorsements. Perhaps even rarer is an endorsement retraction, but Recreational Equipment, Inc. made one last week when it said it had erred in supporting the nomination of Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department.

In January the retailer signed onto a letter from the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable supporting the nomination of Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota. “Let me be clear, signing that letter was a mistake,” Chief Executive Officer Mary Beth Laughton said in a video posted on Instagram on April 9. “I’m here today to apologize to our members,” she said, “and to take full ...