Photo Courtesy of Rep. Meng’s Office
Rep. Meng questioned Sec. Ross during a Congressional budget hearing on March 20.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) fired off a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions demanding that he investigate Commerce Sec. Wilbur Ross for possible crimes related to making false statements with respect to documents required by law to be submitted to Congress regarding the 2020 Census.
The Meng missive comes after the Department of Justice submitted an additional document about the inclusion of a citizenship question in the 2020 Census—which would ask respondents if they are U.S. citizens—in the ongoing court case New York Immigration Coalition v. United States Department of Commerce.
According to Meng, the document reveals that Ross had spoken with former White House Senior Counselor Steve Bannon about adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. This contradicts the statement Ross made to Meng during an Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agenciesbudget hearing in March.
“Clearly, officials within the White House had conversations with Secretary Ross pertaining to the inclusion of a citizenship question on the 2020 Census – which Secretary Ross denied when testifying before Congress,” the congresswoman wrote.
“I don’t like being lied to. I’m absolutely incensed that Secretary Ross lied to me when I asked him if he had spoken with anyone in the White House about adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census,” Meng said on Friday. “I’m asking Attorney General Sessions to investigate Secretary Ross. With the 2020 Census only 18 months away, we must have a full accounting of what happened. The entire process around the citizenship question has been mismanaged and rushed.”
Meng has blasted the Trump administration for its decision to include the citizenship question in the next census.
“Many immigrants who are fearful of deportation under the current administration will simply choose to not participate in the census out of fear that the information they provide will be used against them,” the congresswoman said in March.
