U.S. Trade Officials Sought Consulting Work on Rules They Wrote
- Documents show two officials with trade office sought clients
- The men told auto industry members they have recusals
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Two U.S. officials who helped negotiate an overhaul of North American trade rules have offered their services as private-sector advisers to future clients -- making solicitations for post-government work while still on the federal payroll.
Jason Bernstein and Fred Fischer were key negotiators in U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s office responsible for the so-called rules-of-origin that dictate how much of a car must be made in North America to avoid tariffs under President Donald Trump’s renegotiated trade deal with Canada and Mexico.