Texas Representative Brandon Gill has launched an investigation into global consulting giant McKinsey & Company, accusing the firm of promoting race-based and gender-based hiring practices that violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The probe targets influential corporate diversity reports that Gill claims cost the American economy $94 billion annually.

McKinsey Reports Under Fire

Gill, who chairs the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses, sent a formal letter Monday challenging McKinsey’s diversity, equity, and inclusion research published between 2015 and 2023. The consulting firm’s reports argued that companies with increased racial and gender diversity financially outperformed their competitors. Major corporations, asset managers, proxy advisory firms, and banking institutions cited these findings as justification for implementing diversity-based hiring targets and executive compensation policies.

The Texas lawmaker questions the legitimacy of McKinsey’s research methodology and conclusions. Other researchers attempting to recreate the study results found zero statistical correlation between company diversity metrics and financial performance, according to Gill’s letter. He further alleges that McKinsey researchers may have confused correlation with causation in their diversity findings.

Economic Impact Claims

Gill cited a 2026 White House Economic Report estimating that DEI initiatives cost the United States economy roughly $94 billion in 2023 alone. The congressman argues these economic losses stem partly from corporations adopting policies based on McKinsey’s research, which he characterizes as inaccurate or wholly incorrect. Americans facing elevated costs for housing, food, and essential goods bear the consequences of these corporate decisions, Gill contends.

McKinsey’s corporate website maintains that diversity and inclusion generate substantial economic benefits. The firm estimated national GDP would increase by $12 trillion if workforce gender gaps narrowed by 2025, though no updated figures appear available. McKinsey also projected $2 billion in additional revenue from expanded financial services for black Americans.

Firm Defends Research

A McKinsey spokesperson responded to the investigation by affirming that race and gender should not guarantee outcomes while defending the company’s diversity research. The firm stands by its findings regarding the business and economic impact of diverse workforces. The spokesperson acknowledged that workplace diversity encompasses various backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives beyond demographic categories.

This investigation follows Gill’s recent high-profile hearings examining the Smithsonian Institution’s approach to teaching American history. The freshman congressman accused National Museum of American History director Anthea Hartig of promoting left-wing ideology rather than objective historical education, though Hartig defended the museum’s content as apolitical.