Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has been silent on whether she will give back campaign contributions from an individual connected to defense contractor Raytheon, a company that has been a target of the 2020 hopeful’s critical comments since the start of her presidential campaign.
The Daily Caller reported that Warren received $1,750 from Raytheon vice president of communications Pamela Wickham that she has not returned, despite a pledge to refuse contributions from companies that don’t align with her platform.
Despite her critical comments, Warren has cultivated a positive working relationship with Raytheon as a senator since 2012. At one time, Raytheon was the largest employer in her state.
Warren also served on the Armed Services Committee in the Senate and secured $138.5 million in defense contracts for her state as of 2017. Another defense contractor, General Dynamics, also said it worked with Warren to get defense funding for the state and called her a “crucial ally.”
Calling out Esper
Raytheon became a sticking point for Warren when she called out President Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, for being a Raytheon lobbyist prior to his appointment.
Apparently, lobbying for Raytheon is worse than having a “good working relationship” with them as a major employer in your state. Who knew?
No one else really seemed to think Esper’s previous job was a big deal. He was confirmed shortly afterward by the Senate.
Now all of a sudden, it’s a very, very bad thing to have a connection with Raytheon — or so Warren would have you believe.
Raytheon unabashed
For its part, Raytheon is hoping Warren’s animosity toward them is more about campaign optics than an actual intention to cut ties. The defense giant claims it still has a good relationship with Warren.
“Raytheon maintains positive working relationships with members of Congress who represent our employees across the country, including Senator Warren,” spokesman Mike Doble told The Daily Beast.
Warren does realize that she will be the commander in chief of the U.S. military if she becomes president, right? Surely, she sees that she can’t just refuse to have dealings with a prominent defense contractor like Raytheon.
Still, I don’t know about you, but I’m having a really hard time seeing any of the 2020 Democrat presidential candidates as the commander in chief — let alone Warren.