John James in 2018: “The job Betsy Devos is doing in public education I think is very, very good”
James Has Taken $73,100 from Betsy DeVos and DeVos Family since 2017
A federal judge held President Trump’s Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in contempt of court and imposed a $100,000 fine for violating an order to stop collecting student loans on behalf of a defunct predatory for-profit college. One person you won’t hear criticizing her? Failed Senate candidate John James.
That’s because James is a big fan of DeVos and her policies that have hurt Michigan students. Last year, James praised DeVos saying she was doing “very, very good.” It’s no surprise that he’s such a devoted supporter: DeVos and her family have also donated over $73,000 to James’ campaigns since 2017. As James loaded up on campaign cash, DeVos has repeatedly weakened rules on for-profit colleges allowing them to take advantage of students struggling with student loans.
James showed total support for DeVos and Trump’s education agenda, even as they were proposing to “cut billions of dollars from the Education Department, seeking to eliminate after-school programs,” weakening regulations on how college campuses investigate sexual assault, and diverting money from public education.
“While Secretary DeVos was busy gutting protections for Michigan students and saddling them with more student debt, John James took tens of thousands in campaign donations from her and her family and sang her praises,” said MDP Spokesperson Alex Japko. “Even when DeVos openly breaks the law, James won’t speak out against her. James’ unwavering support for DeVos shows he’ll be a reliable backer of his donors’ far-right agenda, even when it would harm Michiganders.”
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