Kelly Ayotte won't stand up to special interests who do us harm

To The Daily Sun,

For many recent college graduates, these summer months are spent looking for jobs that will allow them to begin paying off mountains of student debt. Their decision to invest in themselves, and incur significant debt along the way, was made with the promise that higher education would propel them into a lifelong career. Instead, some are coming to a sobering realization that the degree they were sold isn't worth what they paid for it, specifically for those who attended for-profit universities like Bridgepoint Education.

Just like Donald Trump's scam "university," Bridgepoint is being investigated by several state attorneys general, the SEC and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Employees of the organization have said that they were pressured to target veterans and low-income individuals who were ill-prepared for the online classes, leading 67 percent of students to drop out with plenty of debt, but no degree. Clearly, these predatory businesses have no place in our education system, and there should be protections in place to prevent their shady practices.

Unfortunately, Senator Kelly Ayotte doesn't agree. According to a WMUR report, after she learned about Bridgepoint's shady practices, she continued to accept campaign contributions from Bridgepoint. At one point, she wrote a thank you letter stating her "commitment to stand up for the beliefs that you and I share." What beliefs does Kelly Ayotte share with an organization that targets our most vulnerable citizens? Is that why she supports Donald Trump, because scam universities are what she's committed to?

It's not too often that we see elected officials stand up for special interests so explicitly, especially when they can do so much harm to Granite Staters. Kelly Ayotte's decision to side with Bridgepoint instead of students with debt in New Hampshire is shocking, and if voters believe that we should prevent veterans and low-income individuals from being preyed upon, then they should reject Kelly Ayotte in November.

Megan O'Gara

Plymouth