According to a report from the Washington Post, staffers working on the Bernie Sanders (I-VT) 2020 presidential run were upset that the senator's campaign was using online giant Amazon as one of their vendors.
Noting that Amazon and its business practices have long been a target in speeches by the Democratic Socialist candidate, the decision to still use them caused grumbling in the ranks.
"Impassioned dissent erupted within the Sanders campaign earlier this year over its purchases of large amounts of supplies through Amazon, according to five people with knowledge of the situation. Carli Stevenson, then a senior Sanders campaign aide in New Hampshire, raised concerns directly with national campaign officials and suggested using a different company, three of the people said," the Post reports, while adding the disclaimer that the Washington Post is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
According to the report, "Another New Hampshire staffer, state political director William Bateson, also voiced opposition to using Amazon, according to two of the people with knowledge of the situation. Stevenson and Bateson declined to comment for this story. The Sanders campaign continued using Amazon despite the concerns. Through September, it had spent more than $233,000 on Amazon purchases — much of it in office supplies, and often through Amazon’s Marketplace feature — a review of campaign finance records shows."
"The campaign’s spending on Amazon is a small fraction of the more than $40 million it shelled out on operating expenditures during the same period," the report continues. "But it was more than other campaigns spent on the company, and more than enough to prompt surprise and complaints from staffers who felt it conflicted with the campaign’s principles."
Defending bteh expenditures, Sanders adviser Jeff Weaver wrote an email saying the alternatives were no better, writing, "I hear you on amazon but who is the paragon of virtue in . . . office supplies?” I hear uline is terrible. Cant beleive (sic) staples is a great company but happy to shown I’m wrong.”
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