DEMS/ETHICS/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Congressional Democrats raised ethics questions on Monday [4-2-18] about the framework of a defense fund set up to help pay legal costs for White House, Trump campaign and transition officials caught up in investigations into Russian meddling in the election. Eighteen House Democrats claim the new defense fund appears to be structured more loosely than ones in earlier administrations. Because of the way it’s set up, the fund could receive donations from lobbyists or others with interests before the Trump administration — and also could be used to influence witnesses, the Democrats warned in a letter to David Apol, the acting director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.”
–Stephen Braun, “Democrats raise ethics questions about Trump defense fund,” The Associated Press, April 2, 2018 1:40pm