Secretary Mnuchin promised full transparency in who got loans from the more than $600 billion coronavirus relief program, but now he wants to keep it a secret.

THEN: Mnuchin said he wants “full transparency” of coronavirus aid and that the “American public deserves to know what’s going on.”

MNUCHIN:  “We are fully comfortable that whatever we do, we want full transparency and we’re very careful in what we’re doing about supporting American workers and the American economy.”

MNUCHIN: “Well, I think the president thought that the appropriate oversight was very important… We have enhanced disclosure. So, I think that the American public deserves to know what’s going on, given the amount of money that we’ll be putting out.”

NOW: Mnuchin is refusing outright to disclose recipients to the American people of taxpayer-funded PPP loans.

Associated Press: “Building ramparts of secrecy around a $600 billion-plus coronavirus aid program for small businesses, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has moved from delay to denial in refusing outright to disclose the recipients of taxpayer-funded loans. Mnuchin told Congress at a hearing this week that the names of loan recipients and the amounts are ‘proprietary information.’ While he claimed the information is confidential, ethics advocates and some lawmakers see the move as an attempt to dodge accountability for how the money is spent.”