Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(108,274 posts)
Sun May 23, 2021, 01:39 PM May 2021

Judge orders Betsy DeVos to sit for three-hour deposition to explain rejecting loan forgiveness

Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has been ordered to sit for a three-hour deposition for lawyers handling a class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit, brought on behalf of around 160,000 student loan borrowers, came from the students defrauded by numerous for-profit colleges across the country. These were organizations like Trump University, where Trump settled a civil lawsuit for $25 million in November 2016. DeVos oversaw the 18-month delay and then rejection of student borrowers’ claims while she ran the Department of Education.

Judge William Alsup ruled that while it is very rare for a former Cabinet secretary to be deposed, “exceptional circumstances” in DeVos’ case—and the super shoddy and sketchy gaps in information—meant that she needed to be deposed. The judge agreed with the class-action lawsuit’s attorneys that DeVos had intimate involvement in the decision-making process surrounding these loans, and since there was “sparse” documentation left over from the previous administration, DeVos’ deposition was required.

This is an important decision because the previous administration, whether through incompetence or nefariousness, seems to have kept very weak records of their processes of running government. That’s unacceptable. In fact, that tends to be the reason that former Cabinet secretaries usually don’t get ordered into three-hour depositions—they usually can argue that the information they would be able to provide is documented and available.

In February, Biden’s Department of Justice filed a defense of DeVos from deposition, citing of all things “harassment” and called the motion “part of a PR campaign that has been central to [the students’] litigation strategy from the outset. It should be rejected and the court should quash the subpoena.” The Department of Justice also put forth the argument that former Cabinet secretaries are generally immune from having to answer questions under oath about their official government work. Alsup did not agree with that assessment.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/5/20/2031331/-Judge-orders-Betsy-DeVos-to-sit-for-three-hour-deposition-to-explain-rejecting-loan-forgiveness

8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Judge orders Betsy DeVos to sit for three-hour deposition to explain rejecting loan forgiveness (Original Post) Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin May 2021 OP
3 hours? She had only paid for two hours of parking. marmar May 2021 #1
... jalan48 May 2021 #2
Good! Burn her ass and make her pay! Trailrider1951 May 2021 #3
She only did what the lobbyists told her to. bluedigger May 2021 #4
I want to know why Biden's Justice Dept was trying to provide cover for her? vsrazdem May 2021 #5
Good malaise May 2021 #6
It should be noted, for those blaming "Biden's DOJ", that the defense of DeVos filing happened.... George II May 2021 #7
Thanks for noting this. intheflow May 2021 #8

George II

(67,782 posts)
7. It should be noted, for those blaming "Biden's DOJ", that the defense of DeVos filing happened....
Sun May 23, 2021, 06:55 PM
May 2021

...just 21 days after Biden's inauguration, and most likely the history of the case was put together by trump or Barr appointees, not Biden. In fact, at the time Biden didn't even have his own Attorney General confirmed yet - that occurred a month later.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Judge orders Betsy DeVos ...