WH Flip-flops On Sanctions After Chinese Company Hires Ex-campaign Aide
Oliver Willis
June 3, 2018 7:39 am
Days after China-based telecommunications company ZTE hired a former Trump campaign staffer, the Trump administration backed down on a decision to penalize the company.
Sanctions put in place by the Commerce Department in April prohibited American suppliers from doing business with ZTE. The department said the move was due to ZTE violating the terms of a previous settlement of criminal and civil charges when the company made illegal shipments to North Korea and Iran.
“ZTE misled the Department of Commerce,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement at the time. “This egregious behavior cannot be ignored.” But it appears Ross and the Trump White House have had a sudden change of heart.
On May 14, ZTE signed a deal with Mercury Public Affairs, which included consultant Bryan Lanza. Lanza was also an adviser to Trump’s 2016 campaign and transition.
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