Cruz calls for Senate investigation into new charges against Biden’s FAA nominee

FIRST ON FOX – Sen. Ted Cruz connected Monday called connected nan Senate to slow down information of President Biden's nominee to lead nan Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) successful ray of caller accusation that nan campaigner has been accused of discriminatory and retaliatory practices arsenic CEO of Denver International Airport (DIA).

The nominee, Phil Washington, is scheduled to look astatine a confirmation proceeding connected March 1 astatine nan Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. But Cruz, nan apical Republican connected that committee, says senators should analyse these caller charges against Washington earlier considering nan nominee.

"Mr. Washington’s proceeding needs to beryllium delayed until nan Committee has clip to analyse caller concerns astir his nomination," Cruz said.

Washington was already struggling to get confirmed earlier nan caller suit was revealed. He was first nominated past twelvemonth and grounded to advance, and Republicans based on that Washington has constricted acquisition successful nan aviation industry. Soon aft he became CEO of DIA successful 2021, reports surfaced that Washington was progressive successful an investigation into corruption allegations astatine LA Metro.

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Phil Washington ((Photo by Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images))

Washington was CEO astatine LA Metro, which is being investigated aft it awarded a pricey statement for a intersexual harassment hotline – nan hotline was recovered to cost complete $8,000 per telephone it received – that was awarded to a kindness tally by a adjacent friend of an LA Metro committee member. Washington has denied wrongdoing, but Cruz said that aged ungraded is logic capable for nan Senate to move slow connected nan nomination.

"It’s bad capable that Mr. Washington has zero aviation information acquisition and is entangled successful an ongoing, unresolved criminal probe of nationalist corruption astatine LA Metro," Cruz said.

Cruz based on nan further news of imaginable discriminatory practices astatine DIA is different logic for nan Senate to pause. He said that Washington gave senators nary denotation of this caller problem, and that senators request clip to analyse nan facts earlier he is whisked done nan Senate.

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Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"Last week, we discovered he grounded to disclose to nan committee that he’s been named successful a caller suit alleging discriminatory and retaliatory practices astatine Denver’s airport," Cruz said. "He besides grounded to supply to nan Committee much than 18 hours of speeches and remarks arsenic good arsenic specifications concerning further lawsuits involving him, each of which unit now must review."

According to an Axios report this month, Washington was named successful a precocious revenge national suit brought by nan erstwhile DIA parking head alleging that nan metropolis of Denver allowed intolerable moving conditions and ongoing threats to his job.

While nether Washington's leadership, Juarez, who is Hispanic, made galore complaints astir salary disparity, saying White colleagues received higher salaries, and complained astir his then-supervisor making racist comments.

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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. (AP)

"My customer was continually making complaints" and straight contacted Washington astatine slightest doubly for help, Juarez's attorney, Steven Murray, told Axios. Murray claims that some attempts went unanswered, and alleges that Juarez was taxable to a bid of retaliatory actions against him, including a announcement of misconduct, threats of termination and a bad capacity review.

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On Friday, Cruz sent letters to some nan LA Metro and Denver International Airport, asking for each communications related to nan alleged incidents and investigations successful which Washington is involved.

Cruz asked for each records to beryllium sent to nan committee promptly, truthful senators tin "fully measure his information to service arsenic a elder leader successful nan national government."

Fox News Digital's Eric Revell contributed to this report.