Former Sen. Kelly Ayotte took job at Caterpillar after tax fraud probe

Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who is now running for governor in New Hampshire, was on a senate committee that investigated the construction goods maker Caterpillar Inc. She later joined the company’s board. The transition could leave Ayotte vulnerable to accusations of corruption.

Ayotte served one term in the senate from 2011 to 2017. During that time, she was on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI). The subcommittee investigates matters of public interest, such as corporate fraud and compliance.

In 2014, PSI investigated Caterpillar Inc. The company was accused of transfering funds to a subsidiary in Switzerland to avoid paying U.S. taxes. The subcommittee ultimately found that Caterpillar Inc. avoided paying $2.4 billion in income taxes over 13 years. 

Ayotte was conspicuously tight-lipped during the bipartisan investigation. She did not attend a hearing on the subcommittee’s findings nor did her office put out a press release.

PSI’s findings have led to other investigations of Caterpillar Inc. In March 2017, the company’s Illinois headquarters was raided by multiple federal agencies as a part of an investigation into the their offshore tax practices.

Ayotte lost her bid for a second senate term in 2016 to current Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan. In August 2017, a few months after the raid, Ayotte joined the board of Caterpillar Inc. One of her stated duties was to advise on international trade.

“Senator Ayotte’s significant government experience is valuable for the company as it addresses a broad range of business issues,” the company said in a statement announcing the hire.

Between 2017 and 2022, Caterpillar Inc. paid Ayotte nearly $2 million. In that time, the company offshored more than 2,000 jobs.

As a legislator, Ayotte voted against multiple bills that sought to disincentivize offshoring. That includes opposing a 2012 bill that would’ve eliminated tax deductions for companies that ship jobs abroad.

Ayotte launched her campaign for New Hampshire’s open governor seat last year. She is currently locked in a competitive Republican primary against former state Sen. Chuck Morse. The primary is scheduled for Sept. 10.

An Ayotte spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.