Jun 06, 2012
Millionaire Steve Daines: Feeding at the Government Trough
Despite railing against government spending in his campaign, 20 percent of Millionaire Steve Daines’ company’s business was with the federal government. Daines has based his candidacy off of his pledge to reduce government spending, but when he worked for the private sector he got rich off of federal money and contracts. Daines was defeated in his 2008 race for Lieutenant Governor.
“Millionaire Steve Daines rails against government spending but he’s spent the last decade feeding at the government trough,” said Stephen Carter of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Montanans have already rejected Millionaire Steve Daines once and they’ll do it again because he’s the worst kind of hypocrite for raking in government money while campaigning against government spending and siding with special interests ahead of Montana’s middle class.”
Background
Daines: “Montanans Understand that Government Does Not Create Jobs.” On his campaign website, Daines wrote, “Montanans understand that Government does not create jobs.” [Daines for Congress Campaign Websites, accessed 6/05/12]
Has Been VP of RightNow Technologies Since 2000. According to his campaign website: “In 2000, Steve joined RightNow Technologies, a start-up business founded and headquartered in Bozeman, which at that time had around 100 employees. His first assignment was VP of Customer Service.” As of February 2012, Daines still served as vice president of RightNow Technologies. [Daines for Congress Campaign Website, accessed 6/05/12; Great Falls Tribune, 2/28/12]
RightNow Technologies CEO: Federal Government Is 15 to 20 Percent of Our Total Business. During a July 2010 conference call, RightNow CEO and Founder Greg Gianforte acknowledged that the federal government constituted as much as 15 to 20 percent of the company’s total business. [RightNow Technologies 2010 Q2 Conference Call, 7/28/10]
Works for “Nearly Every U.S. Cabinet Level Agency.” In February 2011, the company expanded its workforce because it had increased the business it conducted with the federal government. While announcing that it was hiring additional workers to fill the new federal demand, RightNow Technologies noted that it served “over 170 government agencies including nearly every U.S. cabinet level agency, Army, Marines, Air Force, members of the Intelligence Community, and DoD.” [RightNow.com, 2/22/11]
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