But it will likely prove difficult for Nielsen to shed her unsavory image. Ultimately, she implemented the child separation policy and other controversial Trump moves rather than resign in protest, as many critics argued she should. And Democrats and their liberal allies plan to continue making her the face of what they view as one of the most outrageous periods of the Trump presidency.
“She deserves accountability. She doesn’t deserve a big fat paycheck,” said Karl Frisch, spokesperson for the advocacy group Restore Public Trust. Cabinet secretaries, particularly ones at high-profile departments like DHS, typically go on to earn lucrative salaries with big corporations and Washington-based lobbying firms.
The group has organized an open letter to top American corporations urging them not to hire Nielsen and other Trump administration officials. “She represents a severe reputational risk to anyone, any institution, that would engage with her,” Frisch said.
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