Cornyn Details Vanita Gupta’s Involvement with Company Tied to Mexican Narcotics Trade

Recently in the Senate Judiciary Committee, I discussed how Vanita Gupta’s ties to the firm Avantor, which sells a chemical involved in the illicit drug trade in Mexico, disqualify her for the position of Associate Attorney General. Excerpts of my remarks are below, and video can be found here.

The reason why this is relevant to Ms. Gupta’s nomination is she owns $14 million worth of Avantor stock and it's a family business. Her father is the head of the corporation. But it's well known that Mexican authorities as far back as 2010 have found jugs of acetic anhydride manufactured by Avantor at drug labs.

Ms. Gupta was asked about her knowledge of the diversion of this precursor chemical manufactured by Avantor and she said, "Well, I'm familiar with the allegations made against Avantor for selling this precursor drug in Mexico."

Ms. Gupta has been misleading and deceptive in many of her answers to our questions on many important issues like qualified immunity, the death penalty, things like defund the police, but in the case of legalization of drugs, including drugs like heroin, she's frankly lied to each of you and the whole Committee.

I believe Ms. Gupta’s deception, her lack of remorse, and her dishonesty when it comes to answering straightforward questions of the Committee disqualifies her for the office of Associate Attorney General.