Release: Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Atlanta, GA – Today, billionaire Betsy DeVos joined the Trump administration’s swamp cabinet as the next Secretary of Education. DeVos and her family have spent millions of dollars pushing a for-profit schools agenda…and large sums of campaign cash to the very Senators who just voted to confirm her nomination. Including Senator David Perdue:
Fifty Republican senators stuck with billionaire heiress and conservative mega-donor Betsy DeVos, making it possible for her to be confirmed as secretary of education on Tuesday. DeVos and her wealthy family had previously helped fund the campaigns and super PACs that make it possible for GOP senators to win election.
Betsy DeVos has personally donated $115,000 to the current crop of Republican senators since 1980. Those lawmakers received more than $950,000 from the full DeVos family over the same period. The family has further donated $8.3 million to Republican Party super PACs in the past two election cycles.
… During her confirmation hearing, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) asked DeVos whether it is true that her family had donated $200 million to support the Republican Party going back over the years.
“That’s possible,” she answered.
According the report above, David Perdue—in office for two years—received $23,400 from the DeVos family. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, serving in the Senate since 1981, received close to $2000 less than Perdue.
“David Perdue just gave sweeping authority of a department he believes should be defunded to a well-heeled campaign contributor who has spent the last several years undermining public education. We must send a message to Senator Perdue that Georgians deserve to know that our leaders in Washington and their votes cannot be bought. We’re better than that, and our children deserve better than that.” – Rebecca DeHart, Executive Director
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