Ross Faces New Ethics Complaint Over Conflict of Interest Allegations
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross should be investigated for potentially violating federal conflict of interest laws for meeting with the executives heading firms tied to his financial holdings, watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said in a complaint Thursday. The allegations come after the Campaign Legal Center, a campaign finance watchdog group, also filed a complaint Monday that alleged Ross could have violated the law by holding stock in companies that could be affected by the Trump administration’s actions.
"Secretary Ross has not violated any conflict of interest law or regulation,” a lawyer for Ross told CNBC in response to Monday’s complaint. “He has not participated personally and substantially in, nor taken any action in regard to a particular matter that would have had a direct and predictable effect on his financial investments."