ADVERTISEMENT

Warren Appears to Suggest She Helped Cause One of Devos' Aides to Resign

Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren / AP
March 22, 2017

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) appeared to suggest Tuesday that she helped cause one of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' aides to resign, tweeting the resignation occurred the same day she wrote about two of her aides' "obvious conflicts" of interest.

Warren sent a series of tweets criticizing Devos, the first of which said the education secretary "thinks her job is to hand the Education Department over to people who want to bilk students."

The Democratic senator's second tweet referenced a letter she sent DeVos on Friday asking about two of her aides having potential conflicts of interest because of their ties to for-profit colleges.

Warren attached an article from the Washington Post that covered her questions on the matter.

One of the aides "has taken unpaid leave from Bridgepoint Education, an operator of for-profit colleges where he works as an attorney, to serve as a special assistant to DeVos," the Post reported Monday.

The other aide previously worked as a lobbyist for the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities. The name of the organization has changed since the staffer worked there and is now called Career Education Colleges and Universities.

This aide was "hired on a temporary basis at the department," according to the Post.

In a third tweet, Warren suggested the letter she sent DeVos helped caused one of the aides to step down from their position at the Education Department.

She attached an article that covered the resignation.

One of the staffers "resigned from the Education Department on Friday, department spokesman Jim Bradshaw said in an email," Bloomberg reported Monday.

Warren then sent several more tweets attacking DeVos' education policies and the aide who resigned.

DeVos was confirmed by the Senate last month in a tie-breaker vote. Vice President Mike Pence voted in her favor to break the 50-50 split.