Supporters of former US President Donald Trump have sparked a heated controversy involving Big Four consulting firm Deloitte, a major contractor to the US federal government.
At the center of this dispute is a series of private messages shared by a Deloitte employee, revealing criticisms made by JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, of Trump’s presidency.
The leaked messages led Trump allies to call for punitive action against Deloitte, potentially putting billions of dollars in government contracts at risk.
What is the Trump-Deloitte controversy?
The controversy began when private messages from JD Vance, exchanged with Deloitte consultant Kevin Gallagher, were leaked to The Washington Post. The messages, dating back to 2020, show Vance expressing his deep dissatisfaction with Trump’s presidency.
Among his remarks, Vance noted in February 2020: “Trump has simply failed to implement his economic populism (with the exception of a disjointed China policy)”, and predicted that Trump would “probably lose” the 2020 elections against Joe Biden.
These revelations contradicted Vance’s public support for Trump, sparking outrage among Trump’s allies.
Donald Trump Jr spearheaded the attack on Deloitte after the Washington Pos_t published the messages. In a post on »
A framework to @Deloitte named Kevin Gallagher decided to interfere in the election and leak private conversations with JD Vance to help Kamala Harris. Deloitte also gets $2 billion in government contracts. Perhaps it’s time for the Republican Party to end Deloitte’s taxpayer-funded gravy train?
CC @speakerjohnson pic.twitter.com/gAOs1TBt86
– Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 27, 2024
He added: “Deloitte also gets $2 billion in government contracts. Maybe it’s time for the Republican Party to end Deloitte’s taxpayer-funded gravy train? »
Trump Jr made matters worse by tagging Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, sharing screenshots of Deloitte government contracts and tagging Gallagher’s company profile.
His posts have been viewed more than 2 million times and reposted more than 13,000 times, creating a storm on social media. Trump senior adviser Jason Miller added fuel to the fire by writing “Kevin Gallagher FAFO,” shorthand for “f— around and discover.”
What concerns were raised?
The threats to Deloitte’s government contracts have alarmed ethics experts, who warn that such actions could set a dangerous precedent for how a future Trump administration might exercise its power.
Kedric Payne, senior ethics director at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, said The Washington Post“You can’t imagine that if one employee out of thousands made an offensive statement to a public official, then government contracts would be at risk.”
Deloitte, a company that receives about $3 billion a year from federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense, responded to the controversy by stating that Gallagher’s actions were independent of the company.
“This individual shared private personal messages of their own volition without the knowledge of Deloitte, which is a nonpartisan firm,” Deloitte said in a statement. “Deloitte is deeply committed to supporting our government and commercial clients and we have a long track record of doing so across all parties and administrations. »
Ethics experts like Jessica Tillipman, associate dean for procurement law studies at George Washington University Law School, explained that revoking Deloitte’s federal contracts over this issue would likely violate federal contract laws. .
“There are rules designed to ensure the integrity and fairness of the federal marketplace,” Tillipman said. The Washington Poststating that government contracts cannot be terminated due to political conflicts.
What about JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate?
JD Vance’s private criticism of Trump paints a more complex picture of his relationship with the former president. The Ohio senator, who was once a vocal critic of Trump, called him “America’s Hitler” during the 2016 election.
However, Vance later changed positions, becoming one of Trump’s most vocal supporters in Congress and securing the role of vice presidential nominee in Trump’s 2024 campaign.
“I was wrong about him,” Vance admitted earlier this year. “I didn’t think he would be a good president…and I was very, very proud that I was wrong.”
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Despite this public shift, leaked messages from 2020 show that Vance’s private views were still deeply critical of Trump’s policies, particularly during the final year of his presidency. His prediction that Trump would lose the 2020 election contrasts with his later claims that the election was stolen by Democrats.
The correspondence between Vance and Gallagher also delves into broader policy discussions, with Vance expressing displeasure with Republicans’ handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and even being open to the progressive idea of Medicare for All.
“Trump’s wealthy donors,” Vance wrote, “would likely remain loyal to him because he had served their interests in the White House.”
Will this development have an impact on Trump’s 2024 campaign?
The implications of the Deloitte controversy extend beyond the immediate threat to the consultancy’s contracts. It has become another flash point in the Trump campaign’s broader strategy to target political opponents and perceived enemies.
The incident follows aggressive rhetoric from Trump and his allies, with the former president previously threatening to use the Justice Department to jail his political opponents if he wins a second term.
As Vance’s campaign has distanced itself from directly calling on Deloitte to lose its contracts, pressure from Trump Jr. and other Republican Party figures has intensified. “It’s outrageous,” Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt said on X, echoing calls for Deloitte to publicly address the issue.
It’s scandalous and @Deloitte should react immediately and publicly to this scandal. https://t.co/2UbbgDyWA4
– Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) September 30, 2024
Despite the public outcry, Deloitte maintained its position as a nonpartisan firm with a diverse political action committee that contributed approximately $1.3 million to Republicans and $1.2 million to Democrats during the election cycle. 2024.
Trump’s allies, including his son, Donald Trump Jr., have shown a willingness to pressure federal contractors in ways that could set a precedent for a future Trump administration.
With the contribution of agencies