Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Expert: “But [If] You Know You Have Financial Ties In Saudi Arabia, There’s A Clear Conflict Of Interest There.”
PENNSYLVANIA — Criticism continues to mount after HuffPost’s groundbreaking reporting which revealed David McCormick’s deep ties to the Saudi government.
McCormick’s Saudi ties are proving to be a “political liability” as he takes heat from think tanks, advocacy groups, and elected officials.
Read what they’re saying below:
End Citizens United/Let America Vote:
“It’s clear that millionaire hedge fund executive David McCormick has a long history of profiting off investments from nefarious foreign nations and has deep, questionable ties to Saudi Arabia. He owes it to Pennsylvania voters to give them the truth about how much he made from foreign investments and how much Saudi Arabia made off of him.
“Pennsylvanians deserve a strong fighter for the middle-class who will fight for ethics and accountability in government and against the unlimited, undisclosed money undermining our democracy—not an out-of-state Wall Street baron that’s profited off the murderous Saudi royal family. That is clearly Senator Bob Casey and not David McCormick.”
Ben Freeman of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft:
“The Saudi regime has made clear over and over again that it’s willing to use financial, economic, any sort of business incentive it has to garner influence over American politics. […] If you’re a sitting senator and you have the opportunity to vote on stopping an arms sale but you know you have financial ties in Saudi Arabia, there’s a clear conflict of interest there.”
“My advice is: Number one, don’t have these ties in the first place ― do your best not to make bankroll off of working for dictator. But if you can’t do that, the very least you can do is disclose it ― and let the voters decide for themselves how much they care about it.”
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