Blumenthal Statement on the "Paradise Papers"

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement today after new reporting revealed that Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross failed to disclose his financial interests in a shipping company, Navigator Holdings, with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and several Russian oligarchs.

“In concealing his interest in these shipping companies – and his ongoing financial relationship with Russian oligarchs – Secretary Ross misled me, the Senate Commerce Committee, and the American people. Secretary Ross’ financial disclosures are like a Russian nesting doll, with blatant conflicts of interest carefully hidden within seemingly innocuous holding companies. The Commerce Department’s Inspector General must open an inquiry immediately. Only after a thorough investigation can the American people be sure that Secretary Ross really has their best interests at heart – and that he hasn’t prioritized his own personal profits or those of Vladimir Putin or his Russian business partners.”