At least four members of Congress connected financially to coronavirus small business loans

Four members of Congress have reportedly benefitted  in some way from the small-business loan program they helped create.

The members, Democrats and Republicans, have acknowledged ties to companies that have received loans from the program – ones either run by their families or that employ a spouse as a senior executive, according to Politico, which reports other members might also have benefitted. 

The Republicans are Rep. Roger Williams of Texas, who owns auto dealerships, body shops and car washes, and Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri, whose family owns farms and equipment suppliers in the Midwest. 

The Democrats are Rep. Susie Lee of Nevada, whose husband is a chief executive of a regional casino developer, and Rep. Debbie Mucarsel Powell of Florida, whose husband is an executive at a restaurant chain that has since returned the loan.

How many more of the 500-plus members of Congress who also have benefitted is unclear because only the Small Business Administration and Treasury Department have that information, and the Trump administration is refusing to provide any details, Politico also reports. 

The lawmakers who received Payroll Protection Plan loans, either directly for their business or indirectly through a spouse, said the money was acquired through proper channels. Applying for and accepting such a loan is not illegal, but the revelations about the four House members could raise questions about lawmakers’ potential conflicts of interest in crafting more spending legislation to help the country through the economic crisis created by the coronavirus.