Chairman Neal Requests Information Regarding Potential USTR Staff Misconduct

The following press release was published by the U.S. Congress Committee on Ways and Means on June 24, 2020. It is reproduced in full below.

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert E. Lighthizer requesting additional information regarding recent reports that two USTR staff members may have acted inappropriately. Specifically, the Chairman cited news reports that “indicated that two USTR employees may have solicited future clients while working to implement the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). More specifically, it is reported that these employees planned to leave federal service and reached out to companies in the automotive industry to offer their assistance with provisions of the USMCA that they helped negotiate."

Source: U.S. Congress Committee on Ways and Means