Lauren Lantry, lauren.lantry@sierraclub.org
As the Guardian reported, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross is facing multiple calls to resign, including from the Sierra Club and multiple members of Congress. Those calls come after the New York Times indicated that Ross threatened to fire senior staff at NOAA unless they sided publicly with Donald Trump over his inaccurate portrayal of Hurricane Dorian’s path wrongly including Alabama.
This isn’t Ross’ first transgression -- he has a long record of disregard for the health, safety, and well-being of workers at his companies, and now the American public as a whole.
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Ross previously lied to Congress and federal court about why he added the citizenship question to the 2020 US census.
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Ross stood to personally profit from a trade agreement the Trump administration is pushing with China to increase U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
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As reported by the New York Times, Ross retained investments in a shipping firm with ties to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin’s inner circle.
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Ross bought coal mines from bankrupt Horizon Natural Resources. Among these mines was the Sago Mine, where a dozen miners died after an explosion on January 2, 2006. Five years later, Ross sold the mine along with others to Arch Coal for $3.4 billion in his sale of the International Coal Group.
Ross’ actions to silence staff and force them to stand idly by while misinformation was spread about a hurricane’s path threatened to instill mass panic. As hurricane season continues, and the climate crisis fuels the increasing severity and frequency of these storms, this shameless abuse of power could have devastating results now and in the future.
Here are some questions that the White House and Trump must answer:
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Did Trump or the White House have any communication with Ross about the NOAA staff who corrected him?
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What did Trump tell Ross to do about the NOAA staff who corrected him?
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Did Trump order Ross to fire or threaten these staff?
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Does Trump agree that scientists who present accurate information to the public should be fired?
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.