carpetbagger
/ˈkɑːpɪtbaɡə
/noun informal, derogatory
1A political candidate who seeks election in an area where they have no local connections.What struck me most in conversations with several dozen volunteers, carpetbaggers and locals alike, was the almost uniform answer they gave when I asked if they had ever worked on a national political campaign: No....
- Yet such a huge amount of cash will ensure the company remains a target for carpetbaggers, with policyholders potentially benefiting from ever-larger windfalls were the Edinburgh-based insurer to float.
- The recent fight with carpetbaggers cost policyholders several million pounds.
1.1British A person who becomes a member of a mutually owned building society or insurance company in order to gain financially in the event of the organization demutualizing.Company executives could take heart from the success of another firm at repelling a raid from carpetbaggers after members last week turned down windfalls to support the management....
- I had always been convinced that previous building society carpetbaggers were being paid for their work.
- The management team may face further demutualisation attempts by carpetbaggers, given that the company's constitution currently allows for a valid resolution to convert from only 50 members.
Origin
Mid 19th century: originally applied to people from the northern states of the US who went to the South after the Civil War to profit from the Reconstruction.