The Justice Department Announces PPP Loan Settlement With Bookstore Tied to Democrat Senator

Strand Book Store is owned by Nancy Bass Wyden, wife of Democrat Sen. Ron Wyden. That store has just reached a settlement in which it agreed to pay more than $1.4 million for violating the False Claims Act by "improperly applying for and receiving a second draw loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

The bookstore wasn't eligible for the PPP loan because federal law prohibits a business owned by a member of Congress or their spouse from receiving them.

The Paycheck Protection Program was created to save American jobs, not to enrich those who aren’t eligible for taxpayer-funded relief, especially the wife of a U.S. Senator.

Strand Book Store, owned by Nancy Bass Wyden, wife of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, received $932,350 in… https://t.co/Vo7zD9kU2g pic.twitter.com/eCjw1qRfc2

— US Attorney Pirro (@USAttyPirro) November 3, 2026

Here's more from the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia:

When Congress enacted the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March 2020, it authorized forgivable PPP loans to eligible small businesses and nonprofit organizations for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP loan program was administered by the Small Business Administration. In the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act enacted in December 2020, Congress provided additional funding for PPP loans and allowed eligible entities to apply for a “second draw” of PPP funding. The Economic Aid Act included a prohibition against businesses obtaining second draw PPP funds if a member of Congress or their spouse directly or indirectly held a controlling interest in the PPP loan applicant. 

In February 2021, Strand applied for a second draw PPP loan in the amount of $932,350. At the time, the controlling owner of Strand was Nancy Bass Wyden, the wife of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden. On behalf of Strand, Ms. Wyden made a number of certifications as part of the loan application, including that the spouse of a Member of Congress does not directly or indirectly hold a controlling interest in the applicant. Ms. Wyden’s certification was knowingly and materially false and Strand was not eligible for the second draw loan it received.

"The Paycheck Protection Act was to provide Americans benefits, Americans who were entitled to those benefits," Pirro said. "But unfortunately there were some Americans who were not entitled to those benefits and made a decision to enrich themselves. One of those people was Nancy Wyden. She is the wife of a United States Senator, Ron Wyden. What Congress did was they passed a law and they said we're going to let you go in for a second dip unless you are a congressman, a senator, or a wife of a congressman or senator. Nancy Wyden went in for that second dip of almost a million dollars. And today, my office is announcing that we are getting back almost $1.5 million for the violation of that Paycheck Protection Program."

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