WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) joined by Congressmen Morgan Griffith (VA-09) and Jeff Duncan (SC-03) sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Inspector General Andrew Katsaros requesting the OIG investigate who at the FTC leaked to the press a potential criminal referral of Pioneer Natural Resources Chairman Scott Sheffield to the U.S. Department of Justice. 

In the letter the lawmakers write, “These matters must remain confidential to protect the subjects of such investigations, as subjects can be innocent, never prosecuted, and would be harmed by similar leaks,” the lawmakers wrote. “If FTC officials or their staff are willing to leak information regarding highly sensitive matters, like criminal investigations, it calls into question if they can be trusted with the vast amounts of business sensitive information they obtain through compulsory means every day.”

The letter comes after the FTC blocked Mr. Sheffield from joining the board at ExxonMobil following the acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources amid allegations of colluding with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Congressman Pfluger sent a separate letter to FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan following this blatant overreach of power.

Read more about the letters in the Daily Caller here.