 "US presidential election: Why are Donald Trump allies targeting Deloitte?")
Supporters of former United States President Donald Trump have ignited a heated controversy involving a ‘Big Four’ consulting firm – Deloitte, one of the US federal government’s major contractors.
At the centre of this dispute lies a series of private messages shared by one of Deloitte’s employees, revealing criticisms made by JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, about Trump’s presidency.
The leaked messages have led Trump allies to call for punitive measures against Deloitte, potentially jeopardising billions in government contracts.
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 deep dissatisfaction with Trump’s presidency.
Among his remarks, Vance noted in February 2020, “Trump has just so thoroughly failed to deliver on his economic populism (excepting a disjointed China policy),” and predicted that Trump would “probably lose” the 2020 election to 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 X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “An executive at @Deloitte … decided to interfere in the election & leak private convos with JD Vance to help Kamala Harris.”
An executive at @Deloitte named Kevin Gallagher decided to interfere in the election & leak private convos with JD Vance to help Kamala Harris. Deloitte also gets $2B in govt contracts. Maybe it's time for the GOP to end Deloitte's taxpayer funded gravy train?
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 27, 2024
CC @speakerjohnson pic.twitter.com/gAOs1TBt86
He further added, “Deloitte also gets $2B in govt contracts. Maybe it’s time for the GOP to end Deloitte’s taxpayer-funded gravy train?”
Trump Jr escalated the situation by tagging Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, sharing screenshots of Deloitte’s government contracts, and identifying Gallagher’s company profile.
His posts garnered over 2 million views and were reposted more than 13,000 times, creating a firestorm on social media. Senior Trump advisor Jason Miller added fuel to the fire, writing, “Kevin Gallagher FAFO,” shorthand for “f— around and find out.”
What concerns have been raised?
The threats to Deloitte’s government contracts have raised alarms among ethics experts, who warn that such actions could set a dangerous precedent for how a future Trump administration might wield its power.
Kedric Payne, senior director of ethics at the non-partisan Campaign Legal Center, told The Washington Post, “You can’t imagine that if one employee out of thousands made a statement that offended an official, that then the government contracts would be in jeopardy.”
Deloitte, a firm that receives approximately $3 billion annually from federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense, responded to the controversy, stating that Gallagher’s actions were independent of the company.
“This individual shared private personal messages on his own volition without the knowledge of Deloitte, which is a non-partisan 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 parties and administrations.”
Ethics experts like Jessica Tillipman, associate dean for government procurement law studies at George Washington University Law School, explained that revoking Deloitte’s federal contracts over this issue would likely violate federal contracting laws.
“There are rules in place that are designed to ensure the integrity and fairness of the federal marketplace,” Tillipman told The Washington Post, stating that government contracts cannot be terminated over political disputes.
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 an outspoken critic of Trump, famously referred to him as “America’s Hitler” during the 2016 election.
However, Vance later reversed his stance, becoming one of Trump’s most vocal supporters in Congress and securing the role of vice-presidential candidate in Trump’s 2024 campaign.
“I was wrong about him,” Vance admitted earlier this year. “I didn’t think he was going to be a good president … and I was very, very proud to be proven wrong.”
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Despite this public shift, the leaked messages from 2020 show that Vance’s private opinions were still deeply critical of Trump’s policies, particularly in the final year of his presidency. His prediction that Trump would lose the 2020 election stands in contrast to his later claims that the election was stolen by Democrats.
The correspondence between Vance and Gallagher also delves into broader political discussions, with Vance expressing dissatisfaction with Republicans’ handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and even showing openness to the progressive idea of Medicare-for-all.
“Trump’s wealthy donors,” Vance wrote, “would probably remain loyal to him because he had served their interests in the White House.”
Will this development impact Trump’s 2024 campaign?
The fallout from the Deloitte controversy extends beyond the immediate threat to the consulting firm’s contracts. It has become another flashpoint in the Trump campaign’s broader strategy of targeting political opponents and perceived enemies.
The incident follows a pattern of 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.
While Vance’s campaign has distanced itself from directly calling for Deloitte to lose its contracts, the pressure from Trump Jr and other GOP figures has intensified. “This is outrageous,” Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt posted on X, echoing the demands for Deloitte to publicly address the issue.
This is outrageous and @Deloitte should immediately and publicly respond to this scandal. https://t.co/2UbbgDyWA4
— Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) September 30, 2024
Despite the public uproar, Deloitte has maintained its stance as a nonpartisan firm with a diverse political action committee that has contributed approximately $1.3 million to Republicans and $1.2 million to Democrats during the 2024 election cycle.
Trump’s allies, including his son, Donald Trump Jr, have shown their willingness to pressure federal contractors in ways that may set a precedent for a future Trump administration.
With inputs from agencies
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