Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Wichita, called The Eagle editorial board Tuesday to explain why he led a House effort to delay the launch of a Consumer Product Safety Commission complaint database, which nevertheless is scheduled to go online Friday. The database will consist of complaints made about defective or dangerous goods — information the public now can only find out about by filing an open-records request. Pompeo said even if the commission can find companies to notify them of complaints, the businesses will have insufficient time to challenge information that is incorrect. “I’m very concerned about the integrity of the data that’s going to be in there and the implications for consumers,” he told the editorial board. He said that “transparency is of no value” when the information is false. He and industry groups also say that the database risks unjustly hurting the reputation of manufacturers.
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