Trump’s Commerce pick offshored thousands of jobs: report

President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to head the Department of Commerce has moved 2,700 jobs abroad since 2004, according to an investigation by Reuters.

Wilbur Ross, known for his investment in flailing companies, offshored jobs in the textile, auto and finance industries, according to records obtained by the news outlet through the Freedom of Information Act. 

Trump made the issue of offshoring jobs a key component of his presidential campaign, as he railed against trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The billionaire argued that such deals take jobs away from Americans. 

{mosads}Ross did not return Reuters’s requests for comment, but an unidentified spokesperson for the Trump transition defended Ross in a statement to the news service.

“Few people have done as much to defend American jobs and negotiate good deals for American workers as Wilbur Ross,” the spokesperson said. 

Ross’s confirmation hearings will begin Wednesday.