Mitch McConnell might be on his way out, but he has one last parting gift for the American public up his sleeve.
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Holyoak’s track record of subservience to Google is especially concerning in light of Google’s radical political turn chronicled above. Holyoak worked as an attorney at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), which eagerly accepted Google’s money and did Google’s bidding. Google described itself as giving “the most substantial contributions” to CEI.
In 2013, Google was the largest contributor to CEI’s fundraising dinner, giving the organization $50,000. CEI returned the favor. Time after time, Holyoak’s employer went to bat for Google.
In turn, Google received “tangible outcomes” from closely working with the CEI, according to then-Director of Public Policy, Adam Kovacevich. The CEI assailed U.S. lawmakers and regulators who expressed concerns and criticisms about Google’s business. In 2018, CEI mocked claims that Google suppressed conservative views on its platform, saying they were “utterly lacking in evidence.”
