He received a PPP loan for an undisclosed amount for his Roger Williams Chrysler Dodge Jeep dealership in Weatherford, Texas. Much of the scrutiny surrounding lawmakers taking PPP loans has centered on Williams, one of the wealthiest members of Congress with a net worth of over $27 million in 2018. “Among other steps, the Administration should release the names of all PPP borrowers,” a group of senior Democrats wrote in a letter to Mnuchin on Monday. But Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has so far refused to disclose the recipients of those loans, though he indicated Monday he was planning talkswith lawmakers seeking details on the loans. POLITICO has sought the information under FOIA.īoth Democrats and Republicans have vowed there will be robust oversight of Congress’ spending on coronavirus relief, including its signature loan program. Now it’s being dogged by growing transparency complaints, with Treasury and SBA refusing to disclose recipients after officials initially said data would become public through Freedom of Information Act requests. The program already faced intense scrutiny over charges it was helping the well-connected after reports revealed that large corporations were among the first to be awarded loans, while the smallest businesses were stuck in line. While it is not illegal for lawmakers to apply for or accept the money, it has raised new questions about lawmakers’ potential conflicts of interest as they craft the next coronavirus rescue package as well as the administration’s fierce secrecy of the $670 billion program. Fiesta Restaurant Group, which employs Mucarsel Powell’s husband as an executive, received $15 million before returning it in full.Ī spokesperson for Mucarsel Powell said her husband played no role in applying for the PPP loan and did not financially benefit from the aid amid the recession, he took a pay cut from his employer. Full House Resorts, of which Lee’s husband is the president and CEO, received $5.6 million, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Spokespeople for Williams and Hartzler declined to say how much money was provided under the loans to the privately held companies lawmakers own. The new division, part of the department's Office of Civil Rights, will aide medical professionals who object to certain procedures on religious grounds. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) speaks at a news conference announcing a new division on Conscience and Religious Freedom at the Department of Health and Human Services Januin Washington, DC. The Minnesota Democrat added that his bill “was not written to expose members of Congress, because frankly I expected members of Congress to be forthright and transparent to begin with.”Įach of the lawmakers who received PPP loans, either directly for their business or indirectly through a spouse, say the loans were acquired through proper channels and part of a desire to help keep Americans employed. “This is the largest distributor of taxpayer money in human history, and we need to ensure taxpayers know where it’s going,” the author of that bill, Rep. All four lawmakers have previously voted in favor of the small-business program. Lee and Powell joined all Democrats in supporting it. But their push in the House to require disclosure of at least some companies was blocked on the floor late last month by Republicans - including Williams and Hartzler, who voted against the bill. That leaves it entirely up to business owners - including elected officials - to decide whether to come forward about a loan, which can be as large as $10 million.ĭemocrats have tried to pry free the list of recipients. But only the Small Business Administration and Treasury Department have that information, and the Trump administration is refusing to provide any details. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Subscribe on Google PodcastsĪnd there are almost certainly more, according to aides and lawmakers.
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