WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) released the following statement on new documents released from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker’s role as an advisory board member for World Patent Marketing, a company accused of perpetrating a serious consumer scam and which shut down shortly after the FTC took enforcement action against it.
“These new revelations of Mr. Whitaker’s extensive involvement in World Patent Marketing – as it was carrying out a massive scheme to defraud consumers – and his lackluster response to a federal investigation are beyond alarming. I commend the FTC for its work to target scammers like World Patent Marketing who prey on innocent Americans. Mr. Whitaker’s involvement in such a fraudulent entity – and his apparent personal knowledge of the worst allegations – add to the growing pile of undeniable questions regarding his ability to fulfill the responsibilities of his new role as the nation’s top law enforcement official.
“The Senate never had the chance to conduct its duty to advise and consent on Mr. Whitaker’s appointment. If he came before Congress, the stain on Mr. Whitaker’s resume and credibility likely would have caused serious problems for any nomination to serve in such a deeply consequential position. Thus we must ask why the president has apparently gone around the Constitution to select someone so poorly qualified, with so many troubling questions about his past work, to serve as the acting attorney general.”
Udall questioned FTC Chairman Joseph Simons on FTC’s subpoena of Whitaker in a Commerce Committee hearing on Tuesday. Udall also led three other senators in writing to Simons seeking answers on Whitaker’s role in World Patent Marketing, and his failure to respond to the FTC subpoena.
