A bipartisan group of US lawmakers is demanding a federal investigation into consulting giant McKinsey & Company due to its alleged connections with the Chinese government.
House Select Committee Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI), along with Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Joni Ernst (R-IA), expressed concerns about McKinsey’s operations in China and its eligibility for Department of Defense (DoD) contracts.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin dated October 17, the lawmakers criticized McKinsey for failing to disclose its work with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which they argue compromises national security interests.
They noted that McKinsey has secured over $480 million in US defense contracts since 2008 while reportedly providing consulting services to key Chinese agencies, including the National Development and Reform Commission, which shapes China’s economic strategy.
The lawmakers emphasized that McKinsey’s actions could aid China’s military and economic growth and insisted on a briefing by December 1 from both Austin and Attorney General Merrick Garland regarding potential legal violations and McKinsey’s ongoing role as a DoD contractor.
