Treasury chief criticized over ‘LEGO Batman’ pitch

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s disclaimer before promoting a movie he produced does not clear him of potential violations of ethics rules, experts said.

Mnuchin’s comments last week urging people to send their children to “The LEGO Batman Movie” prompted Sen. Ron Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee, to inquire this week on the treasury secretary’s progress of divesting his financial assets.

Wyden also said he was concerned that Mnuchin, the wealthiest treasury secretary in a decade, had violated government ethics regulations that forbid employees from using their federal position to endorse products or services.

“At this time, Sec. Mnuchin has provided the Committee no evidence that he has divested his interests in Ratpac-Dune Entertainment Holdings LLC,” Wyden wrote to Walter Shaub Jr., director of the Office of Government Ethics.

Rachel McCleery, a spokeswoman for Wyden, said the senator on Wednesday had not yet heard from OGE and had “not been provided the information from Mnuchin in question.”

An OGE spokesman said, “We have received the letter, and we are evaluating it.”

Mnuchin stated in his Jan. 10 ethics agreement that he planned to divest his interest in RatpacDune Entertainment Holdings within 120 days of his Feb. 13 confirmation.

That would mean he would need to unload his holdings in the film production company by June 13.

A Treasury spokesman said Mnuchin “will fully comply with his ethics agreement” and noted that the secretary’s comments came during a “lighthearted moment.”