08/27/2018

Wyden Puts Hold on All Treasury Nominees

The committee's ranking member says stonewalling behaviors must end

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee, reiterated yesterday that he is putting a hold on all Treasury nominees pending before the committee.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) is still trying to confirm Chuck Rettig to serve as the next IRS commissioner and a number of other nominees for top Treasury posts. Hatch told POLITICO this week that he doesn’t think Rettig will have “too rough a time” getting confirmed, but finance Democrats have accused Treasury and the White House of stonewalling the committee’s attempts to investigate criminal tax evasion, corruption and foreign influence in U.S. elections.

Wyden said Treasury has, in particular, refused to answer questions arising from the prosecution of former Trump associates Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort.

“This stonewalling has gone on far too long,” Wyden said. “When the Treasury decides to play ball and provide satisfactory answers to the questions Democratic members of this committee are asking – not just Republicans – then it will no longer be necessary to hold nominees.”

This article was provided to OSAE by the Power of A and ASAE's Inroads.