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President Biden has put forward a candidate for a pivotal role on the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), overseeing the operations of Reagan National and Dulles International, two major airports in the Washington, D.C. area. The nominee, Samuel Slater, initially selected in 2021, is a billionaire and influential donor to the Biden campaign.
Despite facing delays in the Senate Commerce Committee, Biden has re-nominated Slater, who is not only a significant contributor but also a frequent traveler on a private jet and a co-owner of a professional sports franchise. This nomination highlights the intersection of political influence, wealth, and transportation oversight.
“I am excited about this opportunity to serve and believe the depth of my private sector experience will be a benefit to the Authority,” Slater remarked during his confirmation hearing in November. “In addition to safety, MWAA’s primary objectives are to plan, provide and actively manage world-class facilities and access to the global aviation system in a way that anticipates and serves the needs of the National Capital region.”
“The diversity of my professional experiences requires me to be similarly focused on consumer needs and desires, from the needs of residential, commercial and retail tenants, to the public consumer experience within sport, media and live entertainment,” he continued. “Throughout these activities, I continually engage with the end-user perspective and study how to improve customer enjoyment and satisfaction with a service.”
Nevertheless, Samuel Slater assumes the role of managing partner at Tremont Asset Management, a Boston-based real estate firm under the umbrella of Slater Family Holdings, where he also holds a managing partner position. Beyond his real estate endeavors, Slater is actively involved in the sports industry, serving on the board of the NHL team Seattle Kraken. Additionally, he co-founded Burn Later Productions, a Hollywood film studio, in 2012.
Despite his extensive business engagements, Slater is notably recognized as a dedicated Democratic campaign donor. His contributions to Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign exceeded nearly $140,000, as reported by the Federal Elections Commission. Not only did he contribute financially, but Slater also played a vital role as a member of the campaign’s National Finance Committee and served as a “bundler,” responsible for aggregating and organizing donations from other campaign contributors.
Further scrutiny into Slater’s financial involvement reveals an additional donation of $150,000 to Biden’s inaugural committee in December 2020, as uncovered by the American Accountability Foundation (AAF), a right-leaning nonprofit watchdog group actively investigating Slater’s campaign contributions.
As Slater faced his confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee last month, he addressed concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest arising from his substantial contributions to Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee. In response to a questionnaire submitted to Senate Commerce Committee Republicans, Slater asserted that he did not believe his significant financial support posed a conflict of interest in relation to his new role.
“This is as swampy as it gets. Biden is rewarding a billionaire donor who flies around the world in his private jet by giving him a government job for which he’s completely unqualified,” AAF co-founder and President Tom Jones told Fox News Digital.
“This is everything the American people hate about how Washington, D.C., operates,” Jones added. “It is an absolute disgrace. We hope the U.S. Senate will not go along with this and restore honest good government to our Capitol.”
Furthermore, according to a September report from Boston Magazine, Samuel Slater, characterized as a billionaire by the publication, has recently acquired a high-end private jet previously owned by the adult entertainment company Playboy. Both Slater and his wife frequently showcase their travels aboard this luxury private jet through their social media posts.
