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U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo (L) hosts a roundtable with European Commission Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager (R) at the Commerce Department in Washington, D.C., on December 7, 2021. (Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
A leading government accountability watchdog demanded Friday that U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo immediately release copies of her calendars due to concerns about the former venture capitalist's "fealty to Big Tech."
"Prompt disclosure of Raimondo's calendars is critical for understanding the muscle which business interests are wielding to influence the U.S. government's trade and economic policy."
The Center for Economic Policy Research's Revolving Door Project said that "as one of the most powerful presidential appointees overseeing trade and commerce, prompt disclosure of Raimondo's calendars is critical for understanding the muscle which business interests are wielding to influence the U.S. government's trade and economic policy."
The group added that "her office's lack of transparency comes as millions continue to suffer under the weight of an ongoing pandemic and the ensuing supply chain crisis that has sent corporate profits skyrocketing while consumers struggle to make ends meet."
Raimondo--who in 2001 co-founded Rhode Island's first venture capital firm and was later elected governor of the state--faced criticism last week after she condemned proposed European Union regulations aimed at reining in anti-competitive behavior by corporations including Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and others.
The commerce secretary said she has "serious concerns" about the proposed E.U. reforms--which according to her would "disproportionately impact U.S.-based tech firms"--and that she encourages officials in Brussels to listen to objections from Big Tech and the Biden administration before making their final decision.
"Ultimately, it's about creating an environment where businesses can flourish," she asserted.
In a letter sent after Raimondo's remarks, 21 advocacy groups including Demand Progress, Our Revolution, Public Citizen, and Revolving Door Project urged the secretary to commit to "eliminating abusive monopolies in every industry."
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Revolving Door Project said Friday that "it is critical that the Commerce Department gives the American people a full accounting of with whom Raimondo has been meeting and whom she has rebuffed, as arguably the most corporatist appointee in President Joe Biden's cabinet," adding that she "could make this happen with a single email to her team."
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
A leading government accountability watchdog demanded Friday that U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo immediately release copies of her calendars due to concerns about the former venture capitalist's "fealty to Big Tech."
"Prompt disclosure of Raimondo's calendars is critical for understanding the muscle which business interests are wielding to influence the U.S. government's trade and economic policy."
The Center for Economic Policy Research's Revolving Door Project said that "as one of the most powerful presidential appointees overseeing trade and commerce, prompt disclosure of Raimondo's calendars is critical for understanding the muscle which business interests are wielding to influence the U.S. government's trade and economic policy."
The group added that "her office's lack of transparency comes as millions continue to suffer under the weight of an ongoing pandemic and the ensuing supply chain crisis that has sent corporate profits skyrocketing while consumers struggle to make ends meet."
Raimondo--who in 2001 co-founded Rhode Island's first venture capital firm and was later elected governor of the state--faced criticism last week after she condemned proposed European Union regulations aimed at reining in anti-competitive behavior by corporations including Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and others.
The commerce secretary said she has "serious concerns" about the proposed E.U. reforms--which according to her would "disproportionately impact U.S.-based tech firms"--and that she encourages officials in Brussels to listen to objections from Big Tech and the Biden administration before making their final decision.
"Ultimately, it's about creating an environment where businesses can flourish," she asserted.
In a letter sent after Raimondo's remarks, 21 advocacy groups including Demand Progress, Our Revolution, Public Citizen, and Revolving Door Project urged the secretary to commit to "eliminating abusive monopolies in every industry."
Related Content

Revolving Door Project said Friday that "it is critical that the Commerce Department gives the American people a full accounting of with whom Raimondo has been meeting and whom she has rebuffed, as arguably the most corporatist appointee in President Joe Biden's cabinet," adding that she "could make this happen with a single email to her team."
A leading government accountability watchdog demanded Friday that U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo immediately release copies of her calendars due to concerns about the former venture capitalist's "fealty to Big Tech."
"Prompt disclosure of Raimondo's calendars is critical for understanding the muscle which business interests are wielding to influence the U.S. government's trade and economic policy."
The Center for Economic Policy Research's Revolving Door Project said that "as one of the most powerful presidential appointees overseeing trade and commerce, prompt disclosure of Raimondo's calendars is critical for understanding the muscle which business interests are wielding to influence the U.S. government's trade and economic policy."
The group added that "her office's lack of transparency comes as millions continue to suffer under the weight of an ongoing pandemic and the ensuing supply chain crisis that has sent corporate profits skyrocketing while consumers struggle to make ends meet."
Raimondo--who in 2001 co-founded Rhode Island's first venture capital firm and was later elected governor of the state--faced criticism last week after she condemned proposed European Union regulations aimed at reining in anti-competitive behavior by corporations including Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and others.
The commerce secretary said she has "serious concerns" about the proposed E.U. reforms--which according to her would "disproportionately impact U.S.-based tech firms"--and that she encourages officials in Brussels to listen to objections from Big Tech and the Biden administration before making their final decision.
"Ultimately, it's about creating an environment where businesses can flourish," she asserted.
In a letter sent after Raimondo's remarks, 21 advocacy groups including Demand Progress, Our Revolution, Public Citizen, and Revolving Door Project urged the secretary to commit to "eliminating abusive monopolies in every industry."
Related Content

Revolving Door Project said Friday that "it is critical that the Commerce Department gives the American people a full accounting of with whom Raimondo has been meeting and whom she has rebuffed, as arguably the most corporatist appointee in President Joe Biden's cabinet," adding that she "could make this happen with a single email to her team."