Neal, Democratic Senators Ask Follow-Up Questions on USTR Ethics Matter
The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and two Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee asked follow-up questions to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer about the ethics of USTR officials soliciting consulting business on complying with rules of origin in the USMCA. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., who asked Lighthizer about Bloomberg reports that revealed the consulting business (see 2006180029), sent the letter to USTR on July 1. Chairman Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., sent his letter a week earlier.
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Neal explained that his committee is proud to have ushered the USMCA through the House, and so “we want to ensure that the implementation of the USMCA proceeds with integrity and is not tarnished by the actions of a couple of employees.”
Both letters ask for written ethics advice to the employees. Both asked if they're still employed at USTR. Menendez and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, asked, “If so, are they still permitted to make similar outreach to companies about post-USTR work?”
The senators asked if the men had recused themselves from any work, and if they used any government time or resources to solicit future business. They also asked for clarification on what they see as a mandatory one-year cooling-off period between negotiating a trade deal and working for companies that will use that deal.
Neal asked, “Is the USTR making any changes or updates to its ethics program, including updates to training materials or other guidance, in response to these events?”