By John Dobberstein, Editor
Multiple media outlets are reporting that Homeland Security Director Markwayne Mullin has a stake in a company and pushed for industry regulations while he was a U.S. Senator that would have benefitted the company.
The Kansas City Star reported that Mullin has a stake of up to $1 million in Botanic Tonics, a Broken Arrow company that makes a kratom-based drink dubbed “Feel Free” that is sold in tens of thousands of gas stations across the U.S.
The New York Times reported Mullin played a role in an “influence campaign” advocating for kratom, a supplement that relieves pain or boosts energy but can also have dangerous side effects.
DHS did not reply to a request for comment Monday from the Sentinel. But DHS recently told another media outlet that Mullin, “follows all ethics and conflict of interest standards and has not lobbied for any individual company.”
It’s not the first time Mullin’s business dealings have come under scrutiny. Last August, Oklahoma Watch reported that twice in two weeks, when he was a Senator, Mullin disclosed trades showing that he violated a federal conflicts of interest and financial transparency law.
J.W. Ross, an Oklahoma entrepreneur, founded Botanic Tonics in 2020, “after experiencing his own struggles with substance abuse, aiming to create a healthier, non-alcoholic alternative,” The Star reported. The company’s day-to-day operations are managed by CEO Cameron Korehbandi.
Ross also founded the Global Kratom Coalition to legitimize traditional kratom products.
Botanic Tonics has faced some trying times in the last few years. The Palm Beach Post reported earlier this month that a Florda family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company and several smoke shops, alleging they failed to warn consumers about overdose risks with the kratom-based beverage.
In September 2024, Botanic Tonics paid $8.7 million to settle a class-action lawsuit involving allegations the product’s labeling and warnings were inadequate, Fortune magazine reported.
In 2023, U.S. Marshals had seized hundreds of thousands of bottles of Feel Free, and the founder stepped down as CEO. At the time, Ross disclosed that he served federal prison time when he was known as Jerry Cash for diverting roughly $10 million from an oil and gas company to fund a lavish lifestyle.
The Star reported that the U.S. Justice Department dismissed its case against Botanic Tonics in December, 12 days after winning a key court ruling. Ten weeks later, the company donated $500,000 to a political group aligned with Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newspaper reported.
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