Courtesy U.S. Department of Justice
Top House Democrats have launched an investigation into acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker’s involvement in a company that was shut down earlier this year after being accused of running an invention-promotion scam. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) sent seven letters requesting information regarding Whitaker’s time as an advisory-board member for World Patent Marketing, a company that allegedly scammed millions from customers. “Because Mr. Whitaker was not confirmed by the Senate, both Republican and Democratic constitutional law experts warned that his appointment was, and continues to be, unconstitutional,” the Democrats wrote. “In addition, because the Senate was not given an opportunity to properly vet Mr. Whitaker’s background, serious questions are now arising about his fitness to serve in this position of trust.”
In May of this year, the Federal Trade Commission announced that World Patent Marketing had agreed to a settlement that banned the company from the industry and fined it $26 million.