Report: Some Members of Congress Benefited From PPP Loan Program

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According to a report first published by Politico, at least four members of Congress — both Democrats and Republicans — benefited from the Paycheck Protection Program that was designed to allow small businesses to keep paying their employees during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The report raised speculation about a potential conflict of interest in future legislation. The four named in the report are Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX), Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV), and Rep. Debbie Mucarsel Powell (D-FL).

Reporting from across the spectrum largely focused on the potential conflict of interest and Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin's potential actions to better the Small Business Administration's (SBA) transparency without divulging sensitive information.

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At least four members of Congress have reaped benefits in some way from the half-trillion-dollar small-business loan program they helped create.

And no one knows how many more there could be.

It’s a bipartisan group of lawmakers who have acknowledged close ties to companies that have received loans from the program — businesses that are either run by their families or employ their spouse as a senior executive.

At least four members of Congress benefited from loans under the $670 billion Paycheck Protection Program — and there are no rules requiring them to reveal that they did so.

Politico first reported that a small group of Republicans and Democrats have close connections to businesses known to have taken loans under PPP, the small business aid program. Companies that benefited from the loans are either managed by the lawmakers' families or employ spouses in senior and sometimes executive roles.

Several lawmakers have reportedly benefited from the Paycheck Protection Program—the nearly $500 billion package that provided relief for small businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Politico reported that a group of four lawmakers—both Democrats and Republicans—have acknowledged being associated with companies that have received PPP loans. The businesses, according to Politico, are either run by the lawmakers’ families, or have their spouses in senior positions.