Major Controversies Surrounding Wilbur Ross: A Detailed Timeline

Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Wilbur Ross.

Wilbur Louis Ross Jr. is an American businessman and politician. He served as the 39th United States Secretary of Commerce from 2017 to 2021 under the Trump administration. Prior to his political career, Ross was chairman and CEO of WL Ross & Co. from 2000 to 2017, establishing himself as a prominent figure in the world of business and investment. As Secretary of Commerce, he played a key role in shaping trade policies and economic strategies.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2004: Founded International Coal Group

In 2004, WL Ross & Co founded International Coal Group after acquiring the assets of several bankrupt coal companies, which led to protests from the United Mine Workers of America over changes to healthcare and pensions.

2005: Safety Violations at Sago Mine

In 2005, the Sago Mine had 12 roof collapses, and U.S. Department of Labor data showed 208 citations for safety violations during that same period, including 21 instances of toxic gas build-up.

2006: Sago Mine Disaster

In 2006, the Sago Mine disaster, an explosion likely caused by a lightning strike at a coal mine indirectly owned by International Coal Group, led to the deaths of 12 miners. Miners and their families accused Wilbur Ross of ignoring safety violations.

2011: Ban of Public Protest in Saudi Arabia

In 2011, the Saudis banned public protest and demonstrations, a fact that Wilbur Ross seemed unaware of when praising the lack of protests during Trump's visit in May 2017.

February 2014: Settled Shareholder Lawsuit

In February 2014, Wilbur Ross paid $81 million to settle a lawsuit brought by shareholders alleging that he breached his fiduciary duty when structuring the merger of International Textile Group and Safety Components International.

2014: Share Sale in the Bank of Ireland

In 2014, WL Ross & Co sold shares in the Bank of Ireland, a transaction that later became the subject of insider trading accusations in December 2017.

August 2016: Settlement with SEC Over Fee Overcharging

In August 2016, Wilbur Ross agreed to reimburse investors $11.8 million and pay a fine of $2.3 million to settle a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission probe into the overcharging of fees by WL Ross & Co.

May 2017: Controversy Over Lack of Protests in Saudi Arabia

In May 2017, Wilbur Ross accompanied Trump on his first foreign visit, to Saudi Arabia, and generated controversy after heralding the president's visit as a success due to a lack of protests, unaware that the Saudis had banned public protest and demonstrations since 2011.

May 2017: Reported Sleeping During Summit

Reports from as early as May 2017, indicated Wilbur Ross appeared to be asleep during President Donald Trump's speech at the Arab-Islam-American Summit in Riyadh.

November 2017: Ross's written statement

In November 2017, Ross gave a written statement that he had divested all his financial holdings. However, an investigation by Forbes in June 2018 found evidence contradicting his statement.

November 2017: Paradise Papers Disclosure

In November 2017, the Paradise Papers revealed that Wilbur Ross failed to fully disclose a financial interest in Navigator Gas, a shipping company with ties to Russian gas company Sibur, during his confirmation hearings.

December 2017: Citizenship Question Request

In December 2017, Wilbur Ross approved sending a request to the Department of Justice to add a question about U.S. citizenship status to the Census.

December 2017: Accusations of Insider Trading

In December 2017, a report accused Wilbur Ross of insider trading related to a 2014 sale of shares in the Bank of Ireland by WL Ross & Co.

June 2018: Forbes Investigation Reveals Potential Conflicts of Interest

In June 2018, an investigation by Forbes found that Wilbur Ross, while Secretary of Commerce, owned stakes in companies co-owned by the Chinese government, a shipping firm tied to Vladimir Putin's inner circle, and a Cypriot bank reportedly caught up in the Robert Mueller investigation.

June 2018: Revelation of Ross's Stock Shorting

In June 2018, it was revealed that Wilbur Ross shorted stock after learning of an upcoming report with information that would adversely affect the company but before the story was published. He closed the position at a profit after the story was published. Ross also shorted two additional stocks in June 2018.

July 2018: Report on Ross's Invesco Stock Divestment

In July 2018, a report indicated Wilbur Ross had divested from his Invesco stock in December 2017, but between the end of May and the sale, the value of his holdings increased significantly. Also, on July 13, 2018, Ross announced he would sell his remaining stock after receiving a warning from an ethics watchdog about a potential criminal violation.

July 2018: Additional Stock Shorting

In July 2018, while serving as Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross shorted two additional stocks.

August 7, 2018: Claims of Charging Fees on Lost Money

On August 7, 2018, five former WL Ross & Co. employees and investors claimed the firm was charging its investors fees on money it had lost, including allegedly charging fees on one investment that was essentially worthless.

August 2018: Accusations of Illicitly Siphoning Funds

In August 2018, Forbes reported that Wilbur Ross's business partners and workers accused him of illicitly siphoning or stealing a total of $120 million.

October 2018: Meeting with Chevron Executives

In October 2018, documents revealed that Wilbur Ross participated in a meeting with Chevron Corporation executives to discuss oil and gas developments, tax reform, and trade issues. At the time, Ross's wife held a stake in Chevron worth at least $250,000.

2018: Trade War Concerns at World Economic Forum

At the 2018 World Economic Forum in Davos, Wilbur Ross addressed concerns about a trade war, stating that "There have always been trade wars. The difference now is U.S. troops are now coming to the ramparts."

2018: Criticism for Being Out of Touch with Average Americans

During the 2018–19 federal government shutdown, Wilbur Ross was criticized as being out of touch with average American citizens after expressing bewilderment about why furloughed workers would visit food banks rather than apply for personal loans.

January 15, 2019: Census Question Proposal Blocked

On January 15, 2019, U.S. federal judge Jesse M. Furman blocked the census question proposal, stating that Wilbur Ross had violated federal rules and made false statements.

February 2019: Rejection of Financial Disclosure by Office of Government Ethics

In February 2019, Wilbur Ross's financial disclosure was rejected by the Office of Government Ethics after he reported that he had sold bank stock when in fact he held on to them.

June 2019: Contempt of Congress Vote

In June 2019, the House held Wilbur Ross and Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress on a mostly party-line vote, due to refusal to comply with a congressional subpoena regarding the 2020 Census citizenship question.

June 27, 2019: Supreme Court Ruling on Citizenship Question

On June 27, 2019, the Supreme Court, in Department of Commerce v. New York, left the citizenship question blocked from the 2020 census, citing a mismatch between Wilbur Ross's decision and his stated reason for adding the question.

July 2019: Report on Commerce Department Distraction

In July 2019, Politico reported that the Commerce Department under Wilbur Ross was seen as "irrelevant" with low morale, and that Ross allegedly fell asleep in meetings.

September 1, 2019: Hurricane Dorian Controversy

On September 1, 2019, President Donald Trump made a false claim about Hurricane Dorian threatening Alabama, and later Wilbur Ross allegedly threatened to fire NOAA staff unless they disavowed their contradiction of Trump's statement.

January 30, 2020: Comments on COVID-19

On January 30, 2020, Wilbur Ross commented that the COVID-19 outbreak in China could help accelerate the return of jobs to North America, a statement that was made before the outbreak became a pandemic.

July 2020: Inspector General's Letter

In a July 2020 letter to Wilbur Ross, Inspector General Peggy Gustafson expressed "deep concern" that the department was blocking OIG from publicly releasing its report by asserting "amorphous and generalized privileges."

September 24, 2020: Injunction Against Ending Census

On September 24, 2020, federal district court judge Lucy Koh issued a preliminary injunction against the plan to end counting on September 30 and blocked a plan to deliver the count results to the White House by December 31.

October 2020: Report on Ross's Board Service in Chinese Joint Venture

In October 2020, a report stated that Wilbur Ross continued to serve on the board of a Chinese joint venture until January 2019, even as the United States and China were engaged in a trade war.

2020: Lawsuit Filed Against Citizenship Question

In 2020, New York solicitor general Barbara Underwood led a lawsuit filed by 18 states and many cities to attempt to stop the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question on the 2020 Census.

2020: Congressional Subpoena for 2020 Census Documents

In 2020, Wilbur Ross and the Trump administration refused to comply with a congressional subpoena for documents regarding efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.

2020: Citizenship Question Blocked from 2020 Census

In June 27, 2019 the Supreme Court left the citizenship question blocked from the 2020 census.

April 2021: Blocked Delivery Date for Census Results

On September 24, 2020, judge Lucy Koh blocked a plan to deliver the count results to the White House by December 31, rather than the original April 2021 delivery date.

July 2021: Justice Department Determination on Ross's Misleading Congress

In July 2021, it became known that the Justice Department inspector general determined Wilbur Ross had misled Congress, but the Trump Justice Department declined to prosecute him.

July 23, 2021: Chinese Sanctions

On July 23, 2021, the Chinese government sanctioned Wilbur Ross as part of "reciprocal counter-sanctions" after the U.S. government imposed sanctions on Hong Kong officials.