Congressman Pat Harrigan Demands Criminal Investigation into CCP-Controlled Retailer Operating on U.S. Military Bases
Contact: Lexi Kranich (814) 380-4408
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10) sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary demanding a full criminal investigation into GNC, a Chinese state-owned retailer currently operating 85 stores on U.S. military installations.
“This never should’ve been allowed,” said Congressman Harrigan. “A company controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, with a track record of fraud, a compromised network, and access to our troops’ personal data, is operating inside American military bases. These aren’t just red flags, this is a five-alarm fire—and I will not stand by while it burns.”
In April, Congressman Harrigan introduced the Military Installation Retail Security Act to ban companies controlled by China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea from doing business on U.S. military bases. The bill was prompted by GNC’s continued access to military installations despite being fully owned by China’s state-run Harbin Pharmaceutical Group.
A new independent review from Exiger, a firm specializing in financial crime and national security risk, found that GNC:
- Imported over 100 million pounds of ingredients from China while continuing to advertise that 96% of its products are “Made in the USA.”
- Used a manufacturer that admitted to falsifying thousands of customs declarations in order to avoid U.S. tariffs.
- Was breached by the Clop ransomware gang in 2023, and still has hundreds of unresolved cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
- Is subject to Chinese law that requires it to hand over data to the Chinese Communist Party on demand.
Congressman Harrigan is urging Secretary Noem and Commissioner Marty Makary to use every authority available—including subpoenas, seizures, and criminal charges—to take action. He is also pushing to include the Military Installation Retail Security Act in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.