Pompeo mum on Chinese business ties

WASHINGTON — CIA Director Mike Pompeo failed to disclose last year that he owned a Kansas business that imported oilfield equipment from a company owned by the Chinese government.

That omission, on the questionnaire Pompeo (photo) was required to fill out for Senate confirmation to lead the spy agency, could cause a problem for him in Thursday’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to be President Trump’s secretary of state.

The issue with the Chinese company, which was confirmed in a series of documents obtained by McClatchy this week, never came up during his confirmation hearings last year. Many senators contacted Wednesday were reluctant to comment until they had more information.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a committee member, said he was unfamiliar with the discrepancy, but said it was troubling.

“If there’s an inconsistency in his questionnaire, that would be a matter of major interest,” Cardin said.