CLEVELAND, Ohio – Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the nation’s education secretary, said in a letter this week that she does not owe Ohio $5.3 million in fines from violations of a pro-charter school organization she chaired, as Democratic lawmakers claim.
Several senators, including Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown, had demanded answers from her earlier this month about the the fines owed by the now-defunct group called All Children Matter (AMC).
And Democratic representatives, including Rep. Marcy Kaptur from Toledo also pressed for answers about why AMC funneled over $870,000 in national money to Ohio Republican candidates and didn’t pay the fine the Ohio Elections Commission assessed for exceeding donation limits in 2008.
In her letter to senators this week, DeVos repeated the position that supporters have made on her behalf – that the group no longer exists, that she was a volunteer member of its board and not directly involved in the violations, and that a court has ruled that individuals do not have to pay the fines.
Your assertions that I should personally pay the fine or that I am using a “legal loophole” to avoid personally paying the fine are both incorrect and unfair,” DeVos wrote. “As you know, I was never a party to the lawsuit, and the trial court judge expressly ruled an ACM officer could not be held personally liable for the fine. A Court’s ruling is not a loophole.”
See her full letter below.
Brown rejected her argument and repeated his opposition to confirming her.
“If Betsy DeVos wants to support education, she should start by paying the $5 million she owes Ohio taxpayers – that could support nearly 100 more teachers across our state,” he said. “But ultimately I’m not supporting her because I can’t look Ohio parents in the eye and tell them she won’t put profits ahead of their children’s education.”
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