U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Kentucky, added the language as an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act that passed the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate and is now in conference committee.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
The bill would direct the DOJ to submit a report within 120 days of its passage “outlining investigative and prosecutorial steps taken against such entities implicated in forced labor supply chains, and a detailed breakdown of all related costs to carry out these efforts.”
“The committee is concerned about labor trafficking, forced labor, and unlawful employment practices involving smuggled or undocumented labor in the stream of commerce of the U.S. auto parts and glass manufacturing industries, particularly relating to corporate entities affiliated with the CCP, and their affiliated companies,” says the amendment.
“The committee encourages the department to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of these CCP-affiliated companies engaged in such activities,” the amendment adds.
The local Fuyao plant played an integral role in federal allegations contained in a civil forfeiture filing this year.
The filing outlined allegations against a staffing company the government accused of human smuggling and money laundering.
Fuyao was not named as a target of the federal investigation. The civil filing said an organization it calls E-Z Iron Works was paid $126 million by Fuyao.
Federal court records say the civil case was stayed “pending completion of criminal case.” But no one has been publicly charged criminally in connection to Fuyao.
“The criminal matter remains ongoing, and I do not have any publicly filed court information outside of what is referenced in the civil complaint. We are not able to discuss any details of the ongoing criminal investigation,” U.S. Department of Justice spokeswoman Jennifer Thornton wrote this month in response to questions from the Dayton Daily News.
Fuyao representatives have denied any wrongdoing.
“We have only recently become aware of this House appropriation bill,” said Lei Shi, Fuyao’s community relations manager. “FGA (Fuyao Glass America) has always regarded compliance as a fundamental principle. All employees are hired in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, and we require our suppliers — through contractual obligations — to operate in full compliance with established standards."
A company representative was not made available for an interview.
A spokeswoman for Rep. Rogers did not respond to an interview request.
Asked about the legislative language, a spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, declined to comment.
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