Commerce chief Ross calls contempt vote 'political theater'

Attorney General William Barr speaks about the census as Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross listens during an event with President Donald Trump in the Rose Garden at the White House, Thursday, July 11, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Attorney General William Barr speaks about the census as Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross listens during an event with President Donald Trump in the Rose Garden at the White House, Thursday, July 11, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON — Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says a planned vote by the Democratic-controlled House to hold him in contempt of Congress is nothing more than "political theater" intended to embarrass and harass the Trump administration.

Ross tells the Fox Business Network that his department has supplied more than 14,000 pages of documents related to the 2020 census and excluded only about 15 pages that the administration believes are protected under executive privilege.

The House expects to vote Wednesday to hold Ross and Attorney General William Barr in contempt for failing to provide documents related to a decision to add a citizenship question to the census.

President Donald Trump last week abandoned that his effort. He's directing agencies to try to compile the information using existing databases.

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