Bookstore owned by Senator Wyden’s wife to pay nearly $1.5 million in settlement

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - A bookstore owned by Senator Ron Wyden’s wife has agreed to pay nearly $1.5 million for receiving a PPP loan while ineligible, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The DOJ says Strand Book Store in New York City violated the False Claims Act by improperly applying for and receiving a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), for which it was not eligible.

The bookstore, owned by Senator Wyden’s wife Nancy Bass Wyden, applied for a $932,350 PPP loan in February 2021.

Federal law bars businesses controlled by a member of Congress or their spouse from receiving those loans.

FOX 12 reached out to Senator Wyden’s office who referred us to the bookstore, saying that Wyden and his wife “Do not discuss her business and he had no involvement in the loan or settlement.”