Elissa Slotkin is a Democrat from Michigan.
She signed an NDA with a Chinese company regarding a battery factory discussion. However, shes ignored many requests regarding information about the NDAs.
According to Fox News, Slotkins office confirmed to The Detroit News earlier this year that the Michigan lawmaker and her deputy legislative director Austin Girelli signed NDAs to discuss the proposal from Gotion, a subsidiary of the Hefei, China-based Gotion High-Tech, to build an electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in Big Rapids, Michigan. The proposed factory would be located outside of Slotkins congressional District.
A spokesperson has finally disclosed that Slotkin and other officials that signed NDAs feel its best to understand factories and operations so they know the impact it will have on communities. According to the spokesperson, Austin Cook, signing the NDAs was necessary for officials to be involved in the conversations.
However, both Cook and her chief of staff refused to speak with Fox News regarding the matter. Fox News asked if she felt it was appropriate not to disclose negotiations to the public and if she signed the NDA to avoid answering questions about the company. They have yet to receive a response.
U.S. Ambassador Peter Hoekstra points out that when it came time for someone from Michigan to speak about the national threats from the Chinese Communist Party, the officials, including Slotkin, asked for NDAs, did not say anything, and refused to take a position on the matter.
That doesnt mean they are letting them get away with it, though. Fox News says, Hoekstra and fellow former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Cella recently founded the Michigan-China Economic and Security Review Group to study Chinese economic investments across the country with a particular focus on Michigan. The two have raised the alarm on Gotions proposed facility and similar projects involving other Chinese companies.
Now, the two have asked the Department of Justice to review the situation because the officials signing the NDAs may be a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
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