A Timeline Of Cal Cunningham’s WasteZero/PPP Cover-Up
Below is a timeline of Cunningham’s ever-changing story regarding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which saved over one million North Carolina jobs. WasteZero, where Cunningham was employed, also benefited from PPP.
BOTTOM LINE: Cunningham received more than $10,000 from WasteZero after he falsely claimed he left their payroll and after criticizing the program. He was paid by WasteZero after the company received its PPP loan.
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July 7, 2020 at 5:00AM: The Washington Free Beacon published a story revealing that Cal Cunningham’s company, WasteZero, received up to $2 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans, while Cunningham simultaneously criticized the program.
July 7, 2020 at 3:41PM: The Charlotte Observer then attempted to follow up on this story and figure out whether Cunningham was still working for Waste Zero at the time the company was receiving loans. When the Charlotte Observer first published its account it said:
July 7, 2020 Around 6:42PM: The Charlotte Observer then amended its story with a contradictory narrative from Cunningham that he left WasteZero on March 20 but continued to do paid work for the company after he supposedly left.
- “Cunningham’s campaign said he left the company March 20, shortly after winning his Senate primary. President Trump signed the $2 trillion CARES Act, which included the PPP, into law on March 27. Cunningham was listed as vice president and general counsel in a 2019 annual report he signed on March 31. His campaign said he had left the company and was being paid on an hourly basis at that point.”
July 7, 2020 at 8:51PM: The Charlotte Observer then made a second correction to their story to show that Cunningham is currently “still available to do occasional hourly work” at WasteZero.
- “Cunningham’s campaign said he left the company March 20, shortly after winning his Senate primary. President Trump signed the $2 trillion CARES Act, which included the PPP, into law on March 27. Cunningham was listed as vice president and general counsel in a 2019 annual report he signed on March 31. His campaign said he had left the company and was being paid on an hourly basis at that point and is still available to do occasional hourly work.”
July 9, 2020 at 4:51PM: Cal Cunningham admitted to the Raleigh News & Observer’s Brian Murphy that he was on WasteZero’s payroll until March 20, and was available to the company to transition his successor into the role.
July 10, 2020 at 2:30PM: The Washington Free Beacon wrote a follow-up story summarizing Cunningham’s attempted lies and cover-ups including the fact that he was aware that WasteZero was applying for a PPP loan.
- “However, Cunningham on Thursday admitted that he was “aware” of WasteZero’s PPP loan application, telling the Charlotte Observer that he is “still available to do occasional hourly work” at the company. While Cunningham previously said he left the company on March 20—a week before the loan program was enacted on March 27—he signed the company’s 2019 annual report on March 31.”
July 20, 2020 at 7:17PM: WRAL’s PolitiFact confirmed that Cunningham hypocritically criticized the program, while his company benefited from it. The story also included WasteZero CEO confirming that while Cunningham left the payroll on March 20, he still does contract work on an hourly basis.
- “However, Bryla (WasteZero’s CEO) and Cunningham himself say he still does contract work for WasteZero and is paid on an hourly basis”
August 13, 2020 at 9:46PM: According to the Raleigh News & Observer, however, Cunningham reported to the U.S. Senate in his financial disclosure in early August that he stopped working for WasteZero in June, which directly contradicts WasteZero CEO’s statements regarding Cunningham’s employment.
- “Cunningham is no longer working as a consultant with WasteZero, the Raleigh-based waste company where he served as general counsel for seven years until March 20. The documents show he stopped consulting work in June.”
The News & Observer’s story also made clear that Cunningham did indeed receive financial compensation from WasteZero after the company obtained its PPP loan.
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