WASHINGTON — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin took issue with efforts by President-elect Donald Trump's intervention in an Indiana business's plans to move 1,000 jobs to Mexico, calling it "crony capitalism" in an op-ed.
The move calls into question Palin's apparent efforts to be appointed secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Trump team disagreed with Palin's contention. "This was the incoming administration, which includes the sitting governor of Indiana, Mike Pence, and private industry working together to fashion a solution that in this case resulted in saving jobs," Trump spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway said Sunday.
Palin's op-ed, published Friday on the website Young Conservatives, said Trump's efforts to craft a deal and keep the jobs in Indiana flew in the face of conservative principles.
"Politicians picking and choosing recipients of corporate welfare is railed against by fiscal conservatives, for it's a hallmark of corruption. And socialism," Palin wrote.
The move to favor "one business over others" sets a bad precedent, Palin wrote.
"Meanwhile, the invisible hand that best orchestrates a free people's free enterprise system gets amputated. Then, special interests creep in and manipulate markets. Republicans oppose this, remember? Instead, we support competition on a level playing field, remember? Because we know special interest crony capitalism is one big fail."
On Sunday, a pool reporter asked Conway for "reaction to criticism of the Carrier deal from people like Sarah Palin calling it crony capitalism."
Conway said that the Trump team is happy that the jobs will remain in the United States and that Trump's efforts are "what leaders do."
"They meet with private industry. They assess the situation. This is really Donald Trump making good on a campaign promise that he had from the beginning."
While Palin said that federal intervention is "never the solution," she gave a nod to the Trump team at the end of her piece: "Gotta' have faith the Trump team knows all this," Palin wrote.
Palin's name has been floated for several cabinet positions in the incoming administration, most recently as head of the VA. She was an early Trump supporter and spent election night at Trump Tower in New York City, but hasn't been seen back at the de-facto Trump headquarters since.