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Trump’s lobbying crisis deepens as mystery hemp payment to company managed by Susie Wiles’ daughter emerges – weeks before THC ban was delayed
A trade group opposing a planned ban on hemp-derived THC paid $15,000 to a consulting company managed by Caroline Wiles, daughter of former White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. The payment, made a week after Donald Trump urged Congress to revise the ban, has raised questions about lobbying and family ties in Washington; the article does not establish that Susie Wiles was involved.
The company, Retriever Consulting, was set up by Jeff Worley, whose son Bret runs a hemp business and later married Caroline. Bret had served on the trade group’s board. Congress had voted to close a legal loophole for THC products, but the ban was delayed and is now tied to an end-of-year funding bill due by 11 December. Caroline’s spokeswoman said Retriever was no longer in use and was being wound down.
In short
- Hemp trade group paid $15,000 to a company managed by Caroline Wiles.
- The payment came a week after Trump urged Congress to revise the THC ban.
- The ban was delayed and is linked to a funding bill due by 11 December.
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The case for
The payment merits scrutiny because it went to a company managed by the chief of staff’s daughter from a group seeking to influence THC policy, amid a family connection to the hemp industry. Even without evidence that Susie Wiles was involved, transparency about the work and any access or influence would help reassure the public that policy decisions were made on their merits.
The case against
The reported facts do not establish that Susie Wiles took part in the payment or that it affected the administration’s position; Trump had publicly urged Congress to revise the ban. The payment may have been for legitimate consulting, and the company’s spokeswoman said it was being wound down, so the family links alone do not prove improper lobbying or influence.
Explained simply
Hemp is used to make products ranging from clothing to foods and supplements. Some products made from hemp contain THC, the substance in cannabis that causes a high; rules have allowed certain hemp-derived products to be sold outside the stricter laws covering marijuana.
Congress voted to close that legal gap, which would restrict many hemp-derived THC products, but delayed the change and linked it to a funding bill due by 11 December. A trade group representing businesses opposed to the restriction has campaigned against it, while Donald Trump urged Congress to revise the ban.
Retriever Consulting was set up by Jeff Worley, whose son Bret runs a hemp business and served on the trade group’s board; Bret later married Caroline Wiles, who managed the consulting company. Susie Wiles is Caroline’s mother and was a White House chief of staff, but the reported payment does not establish that she was involved.
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