Devos Case Analysis

She has ties to several education companies, including Social Finance, which started out as a student-loan refinancing company, as well as companies that sell textbooks and promote online education. The companies she’s invested in will be affected by the choices she makes as the head of the department, including decisions about which companies the government contracts with to handle student loans, and how it oversees different sectors, including online or virtual schooling. Democrats and advocacy groups have pushed for assurances that she will put reasonable distance between herself and those companies while she is secretary.

Alexander, who prior to DeVos had perhaps the most contentious confirmation process in the history of the position, is familiar with similar issues, but on a much smaller scale. As the CQ Almanac noted back in 1991, his confirmation was delayed several months after it came to light that he’d earned significant sums without investing much of his own money during his time as the governor of Tennessee and then as president of the University of Tennessee. But, as the paper noted, his worth was only between $2 million and $3 million, much less than the billions that DeVos is worth, even by today’s standards. …show more content…
“What Makes Betsy DeVos Such an Unusual Nominee for Education Secretary.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 19 Jan. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/01/what-makes-betsy-devos-such-an-unusual-nominee-for-education-secretary/513581/. Accessed 22 Mar.