*By Amanda Weston*
Allegations that Wilbur Ross [stole $120 million](https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2018/08/06/new-details-about-wilbur-rosss-businesses-point-to-pattern-of-grifting/) from colleagues may not be enough to force Ross, the Secretary of Commerce, to lose his job, said the Forbes reporter Dan Alexander.
"Ethical issues haven't bounced people quickly in the past, and I think that Wilbur Ross really likes being in the cabinet," Alexander said Wednesday in an interview on Cheddar. "I don't see him as somebody who's likely to step down because of embarrassment or anything like that. So we'll sort of see how it plays out."
Alexander's article, published Tuesday by Forbes, includes accusations made by Ross's colleagues at WL Ross & Co., including one who describe him as "a pathological liar." Alexander wrote that if half of the allegations are true, Ross could be one of the biggest grifters in U.S. history. (More than 280,000 people have read the Forbes article on its website.)
"This is the former No. 2 person in Wilbur Ross's firm saying that he stole about $4 million from him, another high-ranking employee saying that he stole $3.6 million, and then a lot of it is more complex, siphoning funds from investors or from other partners," said Alexander. "Total it all up and you get to over $120 million. That's a tremendous amount of money for anyone, but particularly for somebody like Wilbur Ross who said he was a billionaire ー and is not."
A Commerce Department spokesperson said in [a statement to Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/wilbur-ross-120-million-grift-allegations-in-bombshell-forbes-report-2018-8) that the accusations against Ross are,"based on false rumors, innuendo, and unverifiable claims."
Alexander relied on information from more than 20 people who know Ross, and details from four lawsuits, including one by David Storper, who worked under Ross for more than a decade. Had senators known about the allegations against Ross, Alexander said his confirmation hearing for Commerce Secretary may have gone differently.
As a member of the president's cabinet, Ross has to file financial disclosure forms detailing what he owns. Alexander said that past disclosures were "embarrassing" because they showed how Ross made misleading statements about his wealth.
When asked whether any of his sources had no complaints to issue about Ross, Alexander had a simple response.
"There was nobody who was willing to go on the record saying Wilbur Ross is a tremendous guy."
For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/commerce-secretary-wilbur-ross-accused-of-stealing-millions).
The Supreme Court has declined to order the Texas Abortion case back to the original trial judge for further proceedings. Essentially if Texas abortion providers were able to get their case back to the lower court., It would have greatly helped the group move against the law. However, this decision is likely to prolong the case legal battle. Professor and Author of "The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having — Or Being Denied — An Abortion", Diane Foster, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The Supreme Court rejected yet another bid by abortion providers to block Texas's law - which bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. This is the fourth time that advocates have tried and failed to block the most restrictive abortion ban in the country. Leah Litman, assistant professor of law at The University of Michigan and co-host of the "Strict Scrutiny" podcast, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
As the standoff between the U.S. and its allies continues with Russia over its possible designs to invade Ukraine, President Biden held a video conference call with European leadership and had 8,500 American troops put on high alert. Jamil Jaffer, a former associate White House counsel for the Bush Administration, joined Cheddar to discuss his views on the escalating crisis in Eastern Europe.
As controversy dogs the run-up to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, China is hiring TikTokers and other social media influencers to promote the nation's history, culture, diplomatic efforts, and current trends.
The Supreme Court has rejected another request to block Texas' strict abortion law. This marks the third time the high court has declined to intervene in challenges to the law that bans abortions after six weeks, well before many women even know they're pregnant. Aziza Ahmed, professor of law at the University of California, Irvine, joined Cheddar News to discuss the impact of the law so far on women seeking abortion services in Texas.
Mayors in cities like Miami and New York City are considering introducing cryptocurrencies as a way to reduce economic inequality. Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez has even pushed for distributing Bitcoin dividends to the city's inhabitants.
The U.S. will be implementing a vaccine mandate for all people entering through its land borders, removing exemptions for "essential" travelers such as truckers, students, and business people. While the Canadian Trucking Alliance argues that the new, stricter rule might exacerbate ongoing auto supply chain issues, some health experts see the potential for helping curb the ongoing pandemic. Anthony Santella, a professor of health administration at the University of New Haven, joined Cheddar to give his take on the updated border crossing restriction. "We can't just focus on one type of travel. We need to ensure that it's clear and consistent across all types of travel," Santella said.
Will Rhind, CEO of GraniteShares, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says he believes the Fed's plans of increasing rates is taking its toll on some of the more speculative stocks and the technology market.
