DEMS/ETHICS/HOUSE OF REPS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP BUSINESS: “The Trump Organization has hired a former White House lawyer to handle inquiries from the Democrat-led House, two people familiar with the situation said on Friday [1-11-19], part of the strategy by the White House and the company to counter an expected onslaught of requests and subpoenas. The lawyer, Stefan Passantino, was a White House deputy counsel in charge of ethics policy until last fall. His duties included handling issues related to the personal financial disclosure filings of Mr. Trump’s eldest daughter and senior adviser, Ivanka Trump. Mr. Passantino plans to recuse himself from any requests from congressional investigators that conflict with the duties he performed at the White House, the two people familiar with the situation said. Still, the hiring of Mr. Passantino, which was first reported by CNN, underscores the unusual dynamics at play with the Trump administration. The president has never divested from his private businesses, which are now run by his two oldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. And the question of possible overlap between the Trump Organization and decisions made by the White House is one that Democrats have made clear they plan to scrutinize.”
–Maggie Haberman, “Trump Organization Hires Ex-White House Lawyer to Handle Congressional Inquiries,” The New York Times online, January 11, 2019