Obama Busted Bribing U.S. Company To Stay Silent About Terrible TPP Trade Deal
Ever since it became a topic of debate last year, the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal appeared to be a bad deal for America. President Barack Obama claimed the bill would set new standards for trade and create advantages for American workers while he kept it shrouded in secrecy.
Apparently, there was a reason why he kept secrets about the deal, and at least one company is calling out Obama on it.
New Balance, maker of athletic shoes, claimed the Obama administration broke its promise to give the company a fair shot at military business if it stopped criticizing the deal.
The company expressed concern about the deal because 25 percent of its shoes are made in the U.S. The company oddly fell silent last year and is now claiming that it agreed not to publicize its concerns because officials were told the Department of Defense would give them serious consideration for a contract.
But the phone calls stopped coming, and officials with the company said the Pentagon is intentionally delaying a purchase.
Rob DeMartini, CEO of New Balance, said, “There was no quid pro quo deal. We wanted to compete for a big piece of business that we are very confident we can win in.”
The DOD said New Balance shoes don’t measure up, executives said in an interview with The Boston Globe.
“That’s ridiculous,” DeMartini said. “We’ve been in the business for 110 years. We know American workers can make shoes for American soldiers.”
The company has revived its opposition to the deal that would gradually phase out tariffs on shoes made overseas.
“We swallowed the poison pill that is TPP so we could have a chance to bid on these contracts,” said Matt LeBretton, New Balance’s vice president of public affairs.
He also said that when the government reneges on a deal like this, it becomes apparent that Obama and “our trade negotiators, they don’t want us to make more products here.”
Sadly, this is just the kind of thing we would expect from the White House.
CRIMINAL: Obama Busted Bribing U.S. Company To Stay Silent About Terrible TPP Trade Deal