Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and former state attorney general, said the American people and Congress “should feel misled” by revelations that Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross owns holdings in a company that has ties to the Russian president’s son-in-law.
During an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Monday, Blumenthal suggested the inspector general for Ross’ department should launch an investigation into why Ross didn’t divest from the company when he was confirmed as head of the Department of Commerce.
“I feel misled and the American people ought to feel misled and the Congress should feel misled because Wilbur Ross came to our committee. He claimed to be divesting and selling all these interests and, in fact, he has retained an ownership stake in a company, Navigator, that does business with this Russian energy giant,” Blumenthal said Monday. “He probably makes more money from shipping gas for Russia than he does as commerce secretary when he goes to negotiate trade agreements.”
The Guardian first reported on Ross’ holdings on Sunday, citing documents from the so-called “Paradise Papers.” Ross has a stake in Navigator shipping company, which has a partnership with Sibur, a Russian gas company owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s son-in-law.
“We ought to have hearings in the Commerce Committee. He came before it and he apparently deliberately concealed these ownership interests,” Blumenthal said. “There ought to be hearings and if he fails to give a convincing and compelling explanation, he should resign because this stake in a company with such close ties to Putin’s son-in-law, a Russian oligarch, subject to sanctions, raises profound questions about whether he can put the nation’s interest above his own.”
