As @EzraACohen pointed out (tweet below), the “goodbye tours” are underway.
But what does that mean?
Usually when a presidential administration is “over” (defacto or dejure), the senior folks will run blow-out trips around the world.
The purpose is three-fold:
1/6
But what does that mean?
Usually when a presidential administration is “over” (defacto or dejure), the senior folks will run blow-out trips around the world.
The purpose is three-fold:
1/6
https://twitter.com/secdef/status/1847332656301666791
Ezra pointed this out, but why do “goodbye tours?”
1) say goodbye to counterparts
2) set themselves up for cushy post-admin jobs (dinners with executives, at which the ‘well, what will you do next’ question is met with winks and nods)
3) boondoggle tourism
2/6
1) say goodbye to counterparts
2) set themselves up for cushy post-admin jobs (dinners with executives, at which the ‘well, what will you do next’ question is met with winks and nods)
3) boondoggle tourism
2/6
https://twitter.com/ezraacohen/status/1847384858982744459
These tours are part of the Washington “revolving door”.
I’ve talked about those, below:
But cabinet-secretary revolving doors are SLIGHTLY different.
Those often involve board seats, book deals, TV gigs, consulting agreements ($100k/mo!)
3/6
I’ve talked about those, below:
But cabinet-secretary revolving doors are SLIGHTLY different.
Those often involve board seats, book deals, TV gigs, consulting agreements ($100k/mo!)
3/6
https://twitter.com/JoshuaSteinman/status/1592307005061931008
For what you’re seeing here — foreign revolving doors — it’s more complicated.
Look for these folks to go to places like “German Marshall Fund” or other well-endowed think tanks. They’ll take non-resident fellowships, “Professor of Practice” gigs at say the LSE, & more.
4/6
Look for these folks to go to places like “German Marshall Fund” or other well-endowed think tanks. They’ll take non-resident fellowships, “Professor of Practice” gigs at say the LSE, & more.
4/6
For the foreign stuff it’s not exactly FARA work (they won’t explicitly be lobbying on behalf of foreign governments), it’s a “thank you for the billions in unaccounted for U.S. Tax Dollars,” and the like.
Maybe they’ll make 500k a year on it, likely much less.
5/6
Maybe they’ll make 500k a year on it, likely much less.
5/6
In the end, it all comes down to one of the most depressing revelations I had during my time at the White House:
That senior government officials sell out all the time, and the price for which they do is shockingly low.
I wish we could stop the practice.
6/6
That senior government officials sell out all the time, and the price for which they do is shockingly low.
I wish we could stop the practice.
6/6
https://twitter.com/joshuasteinman/status/1767279579016970497
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