Boeing director Nikki Haley has left the board of the jet manufacturer, expressing her opposition to an effort by the corporation to obtain a $60 billion federal bailout.
The former United Nations envoy is breaking ties with a corporation that she has long endorsed as governor of South Carolina due to her opposition to the aircraft maker's rescue plea in the works in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.
In a letter to the airline's top executives, Haley said she can't endorse a push to "rely on the federal government for a stimulus or loan that prioritizes our company above others and depends on taxpayers to maintain our financial position."
Boeing announced her resignation in a Securities and Exchange Commission statement late Thursday. A copy of Haley's letter of resignation was published on the last page of the 30-page filing, and made public one day after Boeing and its chief operating officer David Calhoun were lambasted by aviation analysts for pursuing a government bailout.
Earlier this week, Boeing said it was seeking $60 billion in federal assistance for itself and its supply chain, both of which are struggling in the midst of the pandemic, which has disrupted global travel and shut down many businesses and companies. Trump has said Boeing, who is also a major U.S. defense contractor, will get support from his administration.
Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, was often listed as a potential presidential candidate. "I can't help the board and the executive team moving in such a direction," she wrote. When asked to address Haley's concerns, Boeing said that the company valued her on board service and wished her well.
In her letter of resignation, Haley said Boeing's board and the Calhoun-led executive team "go in a direction that I cannot help" adding that she has long held a strong belief that "this is not the responsibility of government."
Before joining the Trump administration as governor of South Carolina, Haley battled efforts by unions to represent employees at the North Charleston plant where the company is manufacturing its Boeing 787 jetliners. She said unions were not required at the time because their employees are taken care of by corporations in her state.
A Republican Senate plan introduced on Thursday would require aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing to receive collateralized loans and loan guarantees from a $150 billion fund but not provide cash. The final qualifying determination will be up to the US Treasury.
