Former Trump presidential aide Hope Hicks has been booked and busy consulting for Shein, two sources told Politico. The Chinese-Singaporean fast-fashion giant began hiring Washington lobbyists after the company was accused of using supplier factories in Xinjiang, where alleged human rights abuses against Uyghur people abound. Shein has denied the allegations of forced labor and says it does not use any materials from the region, according to its own internal review. U.S. lawmakers have asked the SEC to require Shein, which registered for an IPO in November, to submit to a third-party review. One source told Politico that Hicks had been working with the company for about a year. Her contract with Shein was never publicly reported under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which could leave Hicks and her small consulting firm open to potential criminal penalties.Shein is a privately-owned company, so Hicks’ involvement may not be subject to registering under FARA’s commerce exemption, but policymakers are considering removing that exemption. Shein is also accused of sidestepping import tariffs and human rights reviews, and has faced a number of copyright lawsuits from other fast-fashion companies alleging that it lifted designs.
