Elizabeth Warren calls for investigation into McKinsey & Company
United States Senator Elizabeth Warren is demanding answers from McKinsey & Company regarding the firm's services to the Saudi government.
Warren sent a letter to McKinsey & Company global managing partner Kevin Sneader on Tuesday requesting that McKinsey provide a full, transparent accounting of how the company’s work may have allowed the Saudi Kingdom to repress critics and commit other human rights abuses.
This comes days after GoLocalProv reported that Governor Gina Raimondo accepted more than 90 campaign donations from McKinsey partners and executives totaling $59,650.
GoLocal also reported that Raimondo’s husband Andrew Moffit is a Senior Solution Leader at McKinsey & Company. He has refused to respond to questions about his work at the firm. On Wednesday, Raimondo's campaign spokesperson Mike Raia said in a statement to GoLocal, "the Governor and First Gentleman were concerned by the news. McKinsey is a global firm with thousands of employees across the world. Andy had nothing to do with that report."
But the Raimondo campaign and Moffitt would not respond to questions regarding Moffit's role in other work with the Saudi's. For McKinsey, Saudis are big business. Bloomberg news reported that consultancies are set to earn 12 percent more in commissions in Saudi Arabia this year, the fastest growth amongst the world’s advisory markets.
Investigating McKinsey
According to the New York Times, McKinsey prepared a report in 2015 on how the public perceives Saudi "economic austerity measures" that found that criticism of Saudi government policies was led primarily by three individuals allegedly named in the report.
After reviewing the McKinsey report, Saudi government officials reportedly arrested one of these critics, imprisoned two family members of the second, and shut down the Twitter account of the third.
"I am concerned that McKinsey's report ... may have been weaponized by the Saudi government to crush criticism of the Kingdom's policies. The reported circumstances surrounding the 2015 report raise serious questions about whether the Saudi government used information prepared by the firm to crack down on multiple critics of the regime, whether McKinsey should have reasonably known that an authoritarian regime would use such information to repress dissidents, and whether the firm should reconsider the consulting services it currently provides ... for ... the Kingdom,” said Warren in the letter.
After the Times reported the apparent use of the McKinsey report by the Saudi government, the firm claimed that it was an internal document based on public information and not prepared for any government entity. The firm also claimed that it was never commissioned by any authority in Saudi Arabia to prepare a report of any kind or in any form to identify critics. However, McKinsey has previously touted its extensive work in Saudi Arabia, noting in a research document that the firm "started serving clients in Saudi Arabia in 1957 and has had a dedicated focus there since 2000."
In addition, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's observed in January 2016 that "McKinsey participates with us in many studies," and a Financial Times report during that same period described Saudi businessmen referring sarcastically to the Saudi government's Ministry of Planning as the "McKinsey Ministry."
Warren has requested answers to the following questions:
For whom was the 2015 report on the Saudi public's views of the Kingdom's economic austerity policies prepared?
To whom was the report distributed? Was it labeled or treated as a restricted access document?
Specifically, are you aware of any Saudi officials who obtained this report? If so, please provide a complete list and explain how they received the report.
Please provide copies of any written communications related to this 2015 report, including, if they exist, communications between McKinsey employees and Saudi government officials or any entity associated with the Saudi government in relation to the report, or any internal McKinsey communications regarding the Saudi government's use of this report.
Please provide a complete list of all McKinsey contracts with or for the benefit of the Saudi government or entities affiliated with the government, including all currently valid contracts. Please include copies of all contracts, and the amount of payments received under these contracts, for each year from 2013 to 2018.
Does McKinsey intend to continue providing any consulting services to, or for the benefit of, the Saudi government or any entity associated with the Saudi government?
How does McKinsey evaluate which foreign governments to accept as clients? If available, please provide any official McKinsey documents, in electronic form, that explain this process.
Does McKinsey have a review or risk management process in place to evaluate prospective business projects with foreign governments that could lead to potential human rights abuses or other adverse consequences? If available, please provide any official McKinsey documents, in electronic form, that explain this process.
Related Slideshow: GoLocal Statewide Poll - FULL RESULTS, Conducted by Harvard’s Della Volpe Oct. 2018
Sponsor: GoLocal Prov
Sample: N=502 Rhode Island General Election Voters
Interviewing Period: October 5 – October 9, 2018
Directed by: John Della Volpe, Harvard University, SocialSphere, Inc.
Slideshow: responses are not in the order of the questionnaire
This question is about the total income of YOUR HOUSEHOLD for the PAST 12 MONTHS. Please include your income PLUS the income of all members living in your household (including cohabiting partners and armed forces members living at home).
What particular ethnic group or nationality - such as English, French, Italian, Irish, Latino, Jewish, African American, and so forth - do you consider yourself a part of or feel closest to?
When it comes to voting, do you consider yourself to be affiliated with the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, Moderate, or Unaffiliated with a major party?
In November, there will be a statewide general election for Governor and many other state offices. How likely is it that you will vote in this election? Will you definitely be voting, will you probably be voting, are you 50-50...
Next is a series of qualities and attributes that candidates for Governor could possess. Which candidate for Governor does each attribute apply to most? [RANDOMIZED]
Next is a series of qualities and attributes that candidates for Governor could possess. Which candidate for Governor does each attribute apply to most? [RANDOMIZED]
Will ensure that we have high-quality affordable health care.
Next is a series of qualities and attributes that candidates for Governor could possess. Which candidate for Governor does each attribute apply to most? [RANDOMIZED]
Next is a series of qualities and attributes that candidates for Governor could possess. Which candidate for Governor does each attribute apply to most? [RANDOMIZED]
Will make government more accountable to the people.
Next is a series of qualities and attributes that candidates for Governor could possess. Which candidate for Governor does each attribute apply to most? [RANDOMIZED]
Next is a series of qualities and attributes that candidates for Governor could possess. Which candidate for Governor does each attribute apply to most? [RANDOMIZED]
Is committed to improving education in public schools.
Next is a series of qualities and attributes that candidates for Governor could possess. Which candidate for Governor does each attribute apply to most? [RANDOMIZED]
Next is a series of qualities and attributes that candidates for Governor could possess. Which candidate for Governor does each attribute apply to most? [RANDOMIZED]
Next is a series of qualities and attributes that candidates for Governor could possess. Which candidate for Governor does each attribute apply to most? [RANDOMIZED]
Next is a series of qualities and attributes that candidates for Governor could possess. Which candidate for Governor does each attribute apply to most? [RANDOMIZED]
Next is a series of qualities and attributes that candidates for Governor could possess. Which candidate for Governor does each attribute apply to most? [RANDOMIZED]
If the election for Governor were held today and the candidates were: [ROTATE] Democrat Gina Raimondo, Republican Allan Fung and Independent Joe Trillo, for whom would you vote?
Attorney generals in several states have begun investigating sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy, opening investigations and issuing subpoenas for documents.
Do you favor or oppose the Rhode Island Attorney General opening an investigation into the Archdiocese of Providence on issues related to possible sexual abuse of children?
If the election for the U.S. Senate were held today and the candidates were: [ROTATE] Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse and Republican Robert Flanders, for whom would you vote?
Recently, it was announced that state officials approved a fast-track regulatory review of Massachusetts based Partners HealthCare’s proposed takeover of Care New England, Rhode Island’s second-largest hospital system, and operator Women & Infants, Butler and Kent Hospitals. [RANDOMIZED]
Do you believe the quality of care for Rhode Islanders will:
Recently, it was announced that state officials approved a fast-track regulatory review of Massachusetts based Partners HealthCare’s proposed takeover of Care New England, Rhode Island’s second-largest hospital system, and operator Women & Infants, Butler and Kent Hospitals. [RANDOMIZED]
Do you believe the number of jobs available to Rhode Islanders will:
Earlier this year, legislation was filed in the General Assembly that would require that all Rhode Island public schools have a school resource officer on the premises -- if a school has over 1,200 students -- two school resource officers would need to be present.
Do you support or oppose expanding Rhode Island’s free college tuition program at the
Community College of Rhode Island to the state’s two four-year colleges so that the last two
years of tuition at Rhode Island College and URI would be free for those recent high school
graduates, who are in a solid academic standing, and on track to graduate in four years? It is estimated that the cost of the program would be $35 million.
Do you support or oppose an Educational Bill of Rights for students and parents in Rhode Island that includes:
1) The right to be taught by effective teachers.
2) The right not to be taught by teachers who, after due process evaluation, fail to meet standards established by state and local education officials.
3) The right to appropriate academic materials and resources.
4) The right to safe, clean and environmental-friendly school facilities.
5) The right to emotionally supportive schools that do not tolerate harassment, discrimination or abuse.
6) The right to attend a school where funding is based on student need with the goal of providing
access to adequate educational opportunities.
7) The right to a pathway out of a failing school.
8) The right to a fair, accurate and transparent assessment system that measures student
performance and need.
9) The right of parents to current and reliable information about their child’s progress and performance.
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