Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is once again calling out corruption in the Trump Administration, following a questionable decision made by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
What Happened: On Monday, Warren shared a video on X questioning the SEC’s recent approval of Brazilian meat processing company JBS SA’s (OTC:JBSAY) listing on the New York Stock Exchange, despite its history of corruption, price fixing, and safety violations.
“JBS and its subsidiaries have been fined hundreds of millions of dollars for bribery, for price fixing, for safety violations, you name it,” Warren said.
See Also: After 4 Months, Elon Musk Learned What Every American Already Knows, Says Ross Gerber: ‘No One In Government Wants To Cut Any Budget’
She then highlighted the company’s connection with the Trump administration, bringing attention to the fact that JBS’ subsidiary, Pilgrim’s Pride, contributed $5 million to President Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, the single-largest donation.
“And can you guess which company made the single largest donation to Trump's inauguration? Pilgrim's Pride, which is owned by JBS,” while noting that the figure was higher than the contributions made by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META), and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) combined.
“After a decade of trying and failing to get the green light to go public, suddenly Trump's SEC gives them the go-ahead,” she says. “That sounds pretty fishy to me.”
Warren said she has sent a letter to the CEOs of JBS and Pilgrim's Pride demanding answers. “We've got to fight back against shady corporate deals and stand up for the Americans who actually play by the rules,” she said.
JBS SA did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
Why It Matters: JBS SA’s owner, Joesley Batista, is known to have recorded a conversation with former Brazilian President Michel Temer where the latter is seen encouraging the continuous bribery of a jailed politician. The recording was presented to prosecutors as part of a plea bargain.
Temer replaced President Dilma Rousseff as the leader of Brazil. Rousseff was impeached for criminal administrative misconduct.
JBS shareholders approved the company’s proposal for a dual listing during its Extraordinary General Meeting held two weeks ago. Its shares are expected to begin trading in Brazil’s São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3), as well as the New York Stock Exchange, on June 9 and 12, respectively, according to a press release.
Warren has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s business dealings in recent weeks, having called for a probe into billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink receiving favorable operating permits while leveraging Trump’s tariffs and trade talks with nations across the globe.
Photo: Shutterstock/Sheila Fitzgerald
Read More:
- Chuck Schumer Says If ‘TACO Trump’ Is Already Folding On Iran The American People Need To Know: ‘One Day, He Sounds Tough, The Next Day He’s Backing Off’
