Mitchell charges Roper with 'Whitewashing'. Ousted assistant secretary of commerce, being sworn in before testifying at a hearing of the Senate commerce committee 19. June. Mitchell charged secretary of commerce, Daniel Roper with 'whitewashing'as he told the committee of his charges of graft and plundering. He asserted that both the Hoover and Roosevelt administrations had shown favouritism to international mercantile marine corp ,In shipping transactions 19. June 1935