Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) has asked the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) to consider probing Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for ethics violations for promoting The Lego Batman Movie, a film his company produced.
Last week at live event hosted by Axios, a media company, Mnuchin responded to a question from the audience, telling parents to take their kids to see “Lego Batman.” The film is produced by his company, Ratpac-Dune Entertainment.
“The American people deserve to know whether Secretary Mnuchin violated his promise to sever financial ties with Hollywood or if he’s instead using the government to increase his own bottom line,” Wyden, ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee, wrote in a letter to OGE Director Walter Shaub. “Aside from the president, there may be no individual with a tighter grasp on the levers of this country’s economy than the Secretary of the Treasury. Secretary Mnuchin’s remarks signal a blatant disregard and disrespect to the office he serves and the power it holds.”
Mnuchin agreed that he would divest his financial interests in Ratpac-Dune Entertainment within roughly four months of his confirmation as Treasury Secretary on Feb. 13, Wyden said.
“I am concerned that despite his “legal disclosure,” these comments may constitute a violation of Secretary Mnuchin’s January 10, 2017 ethics agreement,” Wyden said. “As the director of the Office of Government Ethics, you have the authority to review potential ethics violations and notify the employee’s agency of any potential violation. I request that you review Sec. Mnuchin’s comments, and report any findings to me and the Treasury Department.”