The founder of Blackwater, Erick Prince, is considering a run for a U.S. Senate seat in Wyoming, according to The New York Times.
Blackwater, now known as Academi, is the private security firm that has often been retained by the US government to do military work Most notably, since 2003, the group has provided services to the Central Intelligence Agency, including a 2010 contract for $250 million.
In 2007, a group of its employees were convicted of killing 14 Iraqi civilians in Nisour Square, Baghdad.
A merger between Triple Canopy and Academi, along with other companies that were part of the Constellis Group package, are now all gathered under the Constellis Holdings, Inc. umbrella.
Prince, 48, is now the head of the China-based private aviation and logistics firm, Frontier Services Group, and would challenge Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who is an establishment favorite.
According to NYT, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has encouraged Prince to run.
Over the weekend, Prince traveled to Wyoming with his family to explore ways to establish residency there, reports NYT.
-RW
Mercenary to carpetbagger.
ReplyDeleteI prefer honest "mercenaries" offering their expertise for hire, than ideological fanatics ready to kill and be killed for the glory of the State.
DeleteEric Prince was one of my students years ago when I was the Mises Professor of Economics at Hillsdale College, taking several classes with me.
ReplyDeleteHe was bright, sharp, and very singled minded in following a career path in the military that has led him to where he is today.
When I knew him, he was very "gung-ho" military, but a strongly constitutional conservative. If he runs for and wins such a seat in the U.S. Senate, one hopes he still values those limited government constitutional principles.