Tester Demands Equifax CEO Appear Before Congress

Senator Calls for Immediate Action to Protect Consumers Personal Data

(Big Sandy, Mont.)–After Equifax announced that 143 million of its customers had their personal information compromised, U.S. Senator Jon Tester is demanding that the company’s CEO appear before his Senate Banking Committee.

In a letter to the consumer credit reporting agency’s CEO Richard Smith, Tester said he has grave concerns that millions of Americans had their names, Social Security numbers, addresses, driver’s licenses, and birthdates put in jeopardy after a massive data breach at the company.

“I respectfully request that you voluntarily brief or testify before the entire Senate Banking Committee, on which I serve, so we can question you about these new developments of compromised information, how you plan on compensating harmed customers, and how you plan on securing individuals’ personal data in the future,” Tester wrote.

Tester asked Smith why it took nearly six weeks to notify customers that their personal financial information had been compromised. He also raised concerns about how this will impact people’s credit.

“As you well know, what happened to consumers in July is unacceptable and has far-reaching impacts beyond a data breach,” Tester added. “I believe it is critically important that Equifax make their customers whole in a timely fashion.”

Tester has a long record of protecting consumers and holding corporate executives accountable. In 2016, Tester grilled Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf after it was announced the bank illegally opened over two million deposit and credit card accounts without customers’ knowledge or consent.

Tester’s letter to CEO Smith can be found HERE.