Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross may have violated a criminal conflict-of-interest law when discussing oil and gas developments, tax reform and trade issues with Chevron executives in a March 2017 meeting, while his wife still owned a more than $250,000 stake in the company, Forbes' Dan Alexander reports.
Our thought bubble: If Democrats win the House, Ross will be at the top of their list of investigative targets. Here’s the latest on his conflicts of interest:
- March 2017: Ross met with Chevron executives.
- Summer 2017: According to a calendar recently released by government watchdog group American Oversight, Ross had another appointment, this time with the CEO of Boeing, despite his wife having owned a more than $2 million stake in the company.
- November 2017: Ross told federal ethics officials that he had divested assets despite he still owning them. He later admitted his mistake in a filing.
- June 28, 2018: Three Democrats asked the SEC to launch an insider trading investigation into Ross's finances after Forbes' reported about "a suspicious transaction" involving Ross and the shipping company Navigator Holdings, which has ties to Vladimir Putin.
- July 12, 2018: The U.S. Office of Government Ethics issued Ross a warning: "[Y]our actions, including your continued ownership of assets required to be divested in your Ethics Agreement and your opening of short sale positions, could have placed you in a position to run afoul of the primary criminal conflict of interest law.”
- Aug. 13, 2018: A campaign finance watchdog filed a complaint alleging Ross may have illegally held stock in companies that could have been affected by Trump administration directives.
The big picture: Former HHS Secretary Tom Price and former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt departed the administration after facing months of questions over similar legal and financial issues — and that was without Democrats being in charge of Congressional committees that can launch investigations.