CONGRESS/ETHICS/FOREIGN AID/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UKRAINE: “Congress’ nonpartisan watchdog said Thursday [11-7-19] it is reviewing the Trump administration’s decision this summer to hold up hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine to determine whether officials violated appropriations law by not notifying Congress of the hold. POLITICO first reported in August about the freeze placed […]
Category: Ethics
10/25/2019
ETHICS/MILITARY/SCOTLAND/TRUMP BUSINESS: “The Air Force has concluded scores of overnight stays at President Donald Trump’s seaside resort in Scotland did not violate any rules but did raise questions about the ‘public perception’ of funneling taxpayer funds to a property owned by the commander in chief. The review, overseen by the Air Mobility Command, recommended aircrew […]
10/25/2019
ETHICS/TRUMP BUSINESS/TRUMP FAMILY: “The Trump Organization is considering selling its luxury hotel in Washington, D.C., after years of scrutiny of alleged conflicts of interest and breaches of the Constitution since Donald Trump ascended to the White House…The Trump International Hotel Washington, which occupies a 120-year-old Romanesque structure formerly known as the Old Post Office Building, […]
10/17/2019
CORRUPTION/DEMS/ETHICS/G7/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP BUSINESS: “U.S. President Donald Trump will host next year’s Group of Seven economic summit of leaders of developed nations at his Florida golf resort, a move Democrats and others decried as more evidence of the president misusing his office for personal gain. White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney on Thursday […]
10/14/2019
ETIHCS/FOREIGN POLICY/JOE BIDEN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “After three weeks of sustained attacks from President Donald Trump over his son’s overseas business deals, Joe Biden is no longer reacting with a mix of silence and counter-accusations. The former vice president is rolling out a new ethics policy banning White House family members from foreign entanglements. His son, […]
10/11/2019
ETHICS/GOLF/SCOTLAND/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP BUSINESS/TRUMP FAMILY: “Last month, the Trump family business received approval from a local government in Scotland for a major expansion of its golf resort near Aberdeen, marking the largest real estate development financed by the Trump Organization since the 2016 election. In August, President Trump’s eldest son, Donald Jr., flew to Jakarta to […]
8/28/2019
ATTORNEY GENERAL/ETHICS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP BUSINESS: “Attorney General William P. Barr has booked a ballroom in President Trump’s hotel for his annual holiday party, an event that he could spend tens of thousands of dollars on and that drew criticism from ethics experts. Mr. Barr booked the Presidential Ballroom at the Trump International Hotel for […]
8/13/2019
ETHICS/MIDDLE EAST/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Elliott Broidy had the kind of past that might have given a more traditional White House reason to keep him at a distance: A wealthy businessman, he had pleaded guilty in 2009 to giving nearly $1 million in illegal gifts to New York State officials to help land a $250 million investment […]
7/15/2019
CONGRESS/ETHICS/KELLYANNE CONWAY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “White House officials directed Kellyanne Conway on Monday [7-15-19] not to comply with a congressional subpoena compelling her to answer to accusations of multiple violations of a federal ethics law, invoking the ‘longstanding principle of immunity for senior advisers to the president.’ The House Oversight and Reform Committee authorized a subpoena […]
7/1/2019
ETHICS/SOUTH KOREA/TRUMP BUSINESS: “While visiting South Korea over the weekend, President Donald Trump tried to strike a deal with President Moon Jae-in to get more companies to invest in the United States. But even as he pushed American interests, a partner of Trump’s namesake company is aggressively expanding plans to build luxury Trump-branded resorts in […]
6/28/2019
ETHICS/GOP/HOUSE OF REPS/INVESTIGATIONS/MICHAEL COHEN/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The U.S. House of Representatives Ethics Committee said on Friday [6-28-19] it will investigate Republican lawmaker Matt Gaetz after allegations he tried to threaten and influence the congressional testimony of President Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen. Gaetz came under scrutiny earlier this year for a Twitter post that critics […]
6/28/2019
ETHICS/HOUSE OF REPS/MICHAEL COHEN/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Representative Matt Gaetz, an outspoken Florida Republican with close ties to President Trump, has landed in hot water — again. The bipartisan leaders of the House Ethics Committee said on Friday [6-28-19] that Mr. Gaetz had flouted their requests for an in-person interview to answer to accusations that he had […]
6/26/2019
ETHICS/KELLYANNE CONWAY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “RT @Jim_Jordan: Tomorrow’s hearing on the ‘Hatch Act’ is just the latest attempt to silence the Trump administration. @KellyannePolls is a…” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 26, 2019 5:47 am […]
6/19/2019
CLIMATE CHANGE/ETHICS/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP PEOPLE/UN: “President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the next US ambassador to the United Nations hit headwinds Wednesday [6-19-19] as senators questioned the impact of her family’s coal fortune on her ability to work on climate issues at the world body. Kelly Craft, the current US ambassador to Canada, acknowledged during a Senate […]
6/14/2019
DEMS/ETHICS/KELLYANNE CONWAY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump said on Friday [6-14-19] that he has no plans to fire top aide Kellyanne Conway after an independent federal agency recommended that she be removed from her job after she repeatedly used her office for political purposes. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel sent a report to Trump […]
6/13/2019
ETHICS/KELLYANNE CONWAY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The United States Office of Special Counsel issued a report on Thursday [6-13-19] recommending that Kellyanne Conway, an aide to President Trump who frequently defends him on television, be fired for ‘persistent, notorious and deliberate Hatch Act violations.’ President Trump said on Friday [6-14-19] that he would not comply. ‘No, I’m not […]
5/16/2019
ETHICS/HUD/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson broke the law when he failed to report an order for a $31,561 dining room table set for his office as well as the installation of an $8,000 dishwasher in the office kitchen, the Government Accountability Office found in a report published Thursday [5-16-19]. Agencies are […]
3/27/2019
ETHICS/TRUMP PEOPLE/WHITE HOUSE STAFF: “Seven former senior Trump aides, including the White House’s top ethics official, may have violated federal law by failing to disclose their future employment on financial reports, according to records obtained by POLITICO. One of those aides, John McEntee, President Donald Trump’s former personal aide who left in March 2018, reportedly […]
3/10/2019
ETHICS/MICHAEL COHEN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “RT @TomFitton: .@RepAdamSchiff has another ethics scandal as a result of his and his staff colluding with Cohen on his testimony, which was…” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, March 10, 2019 7:12 pm […]
2/27/2019
DEMS/ETHICS/GOP/MICHAEL COHEN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Democratic Rep. Kathleen Rice of New York, a former federal prosecutor, has asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate a statement Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz made about Michael Cohen, saying that she believes the GOP lawmaker’s comments could rise to the level of witness tampering and intimidation. Gaetz, a close […]
2/27/2019
CONGRESS/ETHICS/MICHAEL COHEN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WOMEN: “Michael D. Cohen’s congressional testimony on Wednesday [2-27-19] revived questions about whether President Trump broke the law by failing to disclose that he footed the bill for a hush payment to a pornographic film actress. Members of the House Oversight and Reform Committee grilled Mr. Cohen, who served for a decade […]
1/17/2019
CONGRESS/DEMS/ETHICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The ascension of Democrats to control of the House of Representatives in 2019 should bring renewed attention to the financial conflicts of interest that have plagued the Trump presidency for the past two years. Prior to Donald Trump, every other president in the modern era divested investments that conflict with official duties […]
1/11/2019
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, […]
1/9/2019
EPA/ETHICS/NOMINATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump has formally nominated Andrew Wheeler to be EPA administrator, cementing the no-nonsense former attorney as his pick to carry out his deregulatory agenda, the White House announced today. The nomination was expected after Trump announced his intention in November. Democrats are likely to attack Wheeler for his aggressive […]
12/20/2018
ETHICS/LAWSUIT/NEW YORK/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP BUSINESS: “The existence of the Donald J. Trump Foundation ended Tuesday [12-18-18] with a whimper, as the much-maligned organization agreed to dissolve itself as part of an important lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood. Citing a ‘shocking pattern of illegality’ stretching back more than a decade, Underwood explained […]
11/12/2018
ATTORNEY GENERAL/ETHICS/JEFF SESSIONS/ROBERT MUELLER/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Attorney General Matthew Whitaker is consulting with ethics officials regarding possible recusal from overseeing the special counsel’s Russia investigation, the Justice Department said on Monday [11-12-18]…Whitaker has been overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation since last Wednesday, when Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ resignation triggered a set of events that left […]
11/12/2018
ATTORNEY GENERAL/ETHICS/JEFF SESSIONS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker will consult with ethics officials about any matters that could require him to recuse himself, the Justice Department said on Monday [11-12-18], after critics called on him to step aside from overseeing a Special Counsel probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election…Whitaker […]
11/1/2018
ETHICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump ‘always’ wants to tell the truth, he claimed in an interview Wednesday [10-31-18] night, and does tell the truth ‘when I can.’ Trump has come under scrutiny throughout his presidency, but especially in recent weeks, for repeatedly spouting falsehoods and misleading statements. But despite evidence to the contrary, the […]
10/30/2018
ETHICS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Justice Department is investigating Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke for possibly using his office for personal gain, following a referral from Interior’s inspector general, two sources familiar with the investigation say. The full extent of the inquiry is unclear. Zinke has faced multiple ethics questions during his time at Interior, and the […]
9/19/2018
ETHICS/POLLS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump loves to tout the fact that there has never been another president like him. When it comes to his ratings on ethics, he’s right. Gallup recently asked people to rate the ethical standards of Trump as compared to the seven men who held the office prior to him — […]
9/13/2018
DHS/ETHICS/FEMA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long is the target of an ongoing Department of Homeland Security inspector general investigation into whether he misused government vehicles during his commutes to North Carolina from Washington, according to three people familiar with the matter, including current and former administration officials. The actions by Long, the […]
8/31/2018
ETHICS/FOREIGN POLICY/RUDY GIULIANI/TRUMP PEOPLE: “It is bad enough that the President of the United States is breaking long-standing ethical standards in US government, but when President Donald Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani, stepped into the contentious battle over corruption in another country, Romania, he embarrassed the United States by speaking out against clean government; he made […]
8/31/2018
ETHICS/JOHN MCCAIN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “What’s lost when the president of the United States can’t — or won’t — show up? As the remembrances for the late Sen. John McCain shift from Arizona to Washington the rest of this week, President Donald Trump will be glaringly missing. The McCain family asked him to stay away from […]
8/23/2018
ETHICS/LEGAL/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “After one day where truth and facts triumphed, America is back to its alternative realities. The convictions of two close associates of President Donald Trump in a mind-bending double-header drama in two cities on Tuesday [8-21-18] were a moment of clarity in the legal morass that has thickened around the White […]
8/23/2018
AGRICULTURE/ETHICS/LOBBYING/TRUMP PEOPLE/USDA: “From suggestions for members of a science committee to emails sent ‘on the sly’ and thoughts for the secretary’s speeches, new internal emails from the US Department of Agriculture show big food industry lobbyists are working hand-in-glove with agency staffers. The newly released emails were obtained by the nonpartisan independent Project on Government […]
7/11/2018
EPA/ETHICS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “In his first public appearance since taking over as the acting head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Andrew Wheeler told employees gathered at agency headquarters Wednesday [7-11-18] that he was ‘proud’ of his work as a coal industry lobbyist. Wheeler, who took the agency’s helm on Monday [7-9-18], spoke to employees and the […]
7/9/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The acting Environmental Protection Agency chief, Andrew Wheeler, is bringing to the job a ‘change in tone,’ the agency said, that could shed greater light on the decisions and actions of EPA leadership. The EPA’s former administrator, Scott Pruitt, broke with his predecessors’ common practices of publishing a calendar online and announcing […]
7/5/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Scott Pruitt’s once bright political future is in doubt after his sudden fall from grace as head of the EPA, following an avalanche of revelations about his first-class flights, pricey security trappings, backdoor raises for proteges and sweetheart deals with lobbyists stretching from his Oklahoma roots to his arrival in Washington. Some […]
7/5/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Two Democratic Congressmen Thursday [7-5-18] called on the EPA’s Inspector General to investigate whether Administrator Scott Pruitt committed a federal crime by allegedly hiding or falsifying records of meetings and discussions with industry representatives. The calls for the IG to examine Pruitt come two days after an exclusive CNN investigation featuring […]
7/5/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, who pleased President Donald Trump with his aggressive efforts to roll back environmental regulations, resigned on Thursday [5-7-18] under heavy fire for a series of ethics controversies. Pruitt had been under scrutiny for months for his first-class travel at taxpayer expense, lavish spending on […]
7/3/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and his aides have kept ‘secret’ calendars and schedules to overtly hide controversial meetings or calls with industry representatives and others, according to a former EPA official who is expected to soon testify before Congress. A review of EPA documents by CNN found discrepancies between Pruitt’s official calendar […]
6/22/2018
BORDER/ETHICS/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “You care, but does the President? Anytime a commander in chief faces that question, it’s a sure sign that something is wrong. But Donald Trump and his administration are finding their humanity under scrutiny in the harrowing saga of kids separated from their parents after illegally crossing the southern border. The administration’s […]
6/19/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/SENATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt will testify before the Senate’s environment committee in August, panel chairman Senator John Barrasso said on Tuesday [6-19-18], where he will face questions about spending and ethics controversies. Barrasso said previously that he would call Pruitt to testify about Pruitt’s spending on first class travel, […]
6/6/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday [6-6-18] praised the job being done by Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, who is under fire over ethics and spending issues…Trump’s praise follows mounting ethics concerns about Pruitt. The EPA chief has been criticized for paying below-market rent on a lobbyist-owned condominium, for his routine […]
6/4/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt had a top aide seek a used mattress from the Trump International Hotel and perform other personal chores for him, including house-hunting and booking personal travel, according to testimony released Monday [6-4-18]. Millan Hupp’s transcribed interview last month before a panel of House Oversight and Government […]
6/1/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A lawyer tapped to lead a task force at the Environmental Protection Agency overseeing cleanups at the nation’s most polluted places worked until recently for a top chemical and plastics manufacturer with a troubled legacy of creating some of those toxic sites. Steven D. Cook has been named as the new chair […]
5/29/2018
ETHICS/POLLS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Twenty-two percent of Republicans think Donald Trump provides somewhat or very weak moral leadership as President, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday [5-29-19]. Fifty-nine percent of Americans say the same, with 60% of independents and 91% of Democrats agreeing. When asked if they think it is important for the President to […]
5/25/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Security costs for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt tally up to nearly $3.5 million for the past year, according to figures the agency released Friday [5-25-18]. The documents show the agency spent $2,726,719 on pay for the team of 19 agents who protect Pruitt around the clock. The agency also spent […]
5/21/2018
DEMS/ELECTION/ETHICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Democrats plan to hammer the corruption allegations swirling around the Trump administration in the run up to the midterms, hoping to tap into a successful strategy that delivered them control of Congress in 2006. Democratic leaders will roll out the latest plank of their messaging platform Monday [5-21-18], focusing on a package […]
5/18/2018
ETHICS/LEGAL/MICHAEL COHEN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WOMEN: “Donald Trump’s fresh acknowledgment this week that he reimbursed his lawyer Michael Cohen more than $100,000 in 2017 is raising red flags with ethics experts about why the President withheld information from the public about those payments last year. Trump’s financial disclosure report released on Wednesday [5-16-18] — covering all of […]
5/16/2018
ETHICS/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday [5-16-18] appeared to offer an implicit rebuke of his old boss, as he warned of a ‘growing crisis in ethics and integrity’ during a commencement address at the Virginia Military Institute…The ex-diplomat — who did not mention President Donald Trump by name […]
5/16/2018
ETHICS/LEGAL/MICHAEL COHEN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WOMEN: “President Donald Trump acknowledged for the first time that he repaid his attorney Michael Cohen for a payment of at least $100,001 made to a ‘third party’ in 2016, according to ethics disclosures signed by the president that were released by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics on Wednesday. Cohen made […]
5/3/2018
EPA/ETHICS/LOBBYING/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Since moving to Washington, Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, has attracted the attention of federal investigators because of his unusual association with lobbyists, including his rental of a condominium last year owned by the wife of a lobbyist with business before the E.P.A. As a state senator in […]
5/3/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The top spokeswoman for Environmental Protection Agency is leaving the agency, the third departure this week of an aide close to Administrator Scott Pruitt, who is facing investigations into management and spending practices. Liz Bowman’s announcement follows the exit of two other top EPA officials—Mr. Pruitt’s head of security and the administrator […]
5/1/2018
ETHICS/MIKE PENCE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “As embattled Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’ legal and political woes deepen, some White House officials are inquiring whether the controversy could also envelop the governor’s former top campaign adviser, Nick Ayers, who is now Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff. Multiple officials in President Donald Trump’s administration have privately put out […]
4/26/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt on Thursday rejected a litany of ethics complaints against him as distortions intended to derail President Donald Trump’s agenda, and put much of the blame for any agency missteps on his staff.During two tense congressional hearings, Pruitt faced tough questions from Democrats and even some […]
4/26/2018
DEMS/EPA/ETHICS/GOP/HEARINGS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, yet another Trump administration official with his job on the line over ethical concerns, took heat from lawmakers Thursday [4-26-18] over his profligate spending and lobbyist ties and tried to divert responsibility to underlings. The EPA administrator said ‘twisted’ allegations against him were meant to undermine […]
4/25/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Republican senators say they want President Donald Trump’s embattled environmental chief to address questions about ethics and spending decisions. But GOP lawmakers who have stood behind Scott Pruitt are stopping short of calling for him to step down, for now. They do say his answers at House hearings Thursday could prove crucial […]
4/21/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Early in Scott Pruitt’s political career, as a state senator from Tulsa, he attended a gathering at the Oklahoma City home of an influential telecommunications lobbyist who was nearing retirement and about to move away. The lobbyist said that after the 2003 gathering, Mr. Pruitt — who had a modest legal practice […]
4/20/2018
CONGRESS/EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Some of the most reliable conservatives in Congress are starting to speak out against Scott Pruitt, the chief of the Environmental Protection Agency who is now facing a barrage of ethics and spending questions. Previously, conservative Republicans had shown a reluctance to question the actions of top Trump administration officials. Their […]
4/19/2018
ETHICS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “White House aides were worried enough about a visit last year by Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia, under investigation by American prosecutors who say he embezzled $3.5 billion from a state investment fund, that he was denied the customary photo in the Oval Office with President Trump. But that did not stop […]
4/13/2018
ETHICS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein continues to oversee special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation after consulting with a career ethics adviser at the Justice Department about his ability to oversee the Russia probe, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN. For nearly a year, legal experts and journalists have […]
4/12/2018
DEMS/EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A high-ranking political staffer at the Environmental Protection Agency has told lawmakers he faced retaliation after pushing back against outsized spending demands from Administrator Scott Pruitt and his top aides. House and Senate Democrats sent letters Thursday [4-12-18] to President Donald Trump and Pruitt describing a meeting they had with Kevin Chmielewski, […]
4/12/2018
DEMS/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “DemocratIc U.S. lawmakers asked embattled Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt on Thursday [4-12-2018] to provide documents about ethics issues they said were revealed to them by a former agency official, including spending on bulletproof vests, weapons, and a contract with an Italian security service. The Democrats, including Senators Tom Carper, Sheldon […]
4/9/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The federal government’s top voice on ethics has sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency outlining areas of concern regarding agency chief Scott Pruitt. The pointed letter from David Apol, the acting director and general counsel of the Office of Government Ethics, summarizes reports of Pruitt’s conduct, including a rental […]
4/2/2018
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 […]
3/26/2018
ETHICS/JARED KUSHNER/TRUMP FAMILY: “White House attorneys are examining whether two loans totaling more than $500 million to Jared Kushner’s family business may have violated any criminal laws or federal ethics regulations, according to a letter from a federal ethics agency made public Monday [3-26-18]. The Office of Government Ethics told a Democratic lawmaker in the […]
3/21/2018
ETHICS/INTERIOR/RYAN ZINKE: “Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and his wife took security detail on their vacation to Greece and Turkey last year, official documents show, in what one watchdog group said could be a ‘questionable’ use of taxpayer resources. Zinke has faced questions for months over his travel expenses and use of official resources, as have […]
3/21/2018
BUSINESS/CONFLICT OF INTEREST/ETHICS/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “Citigroup Inc. said in a letter sent Tuesday [3-20-18] to lawmakers that a loan made to Kushner Cos. shortly after the bank’s chief executive met with Jared Kushner last year was ‘completely appropriate.’ On March 3, 2017, Citi CEO Michael Corbat met with Mr. Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and […]
3/15/2018
ETHICS/STEVE MNUCHIN/TREASURY: “Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s use of military aircraft has cost taxpayers nearly $1 million for eight trips, newly released documents show. That includes a one-week trip to the Middle East in late October, which cost $183,646 for flights on military aircraft. That trip came on top of $811,797.81 in previously reported expenditures for […]
3/14/2018
BEN CARSON/ETHICS/HUD: “When news broke that a $31,000 dining room set had been ordered for the office of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, the secretary’s office immediately went into crisis mode. Carson, you see, had nothing to do with such an exorbitant expenditure — which, not for nothing, HUD canceled as soon as […]
3/13/2018
ENERGY/ETHICS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/NOMINATIONS/RICK PERRY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/VA: “President Donald Trump is considering replacing Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin with candidates including Energy Secretary Rick Perry, according to an administration official, after an inspector general’s report last month said Dr. Shulkin had misspent taxpayer money during an official trip to Europe last year. The official said the discussions […]
3/13/2018
CABINET/ETHICS/GOP/TRUMP PEOPLE/MICK MULVANEY: “When Mick Mulvaney left Congress to join President Donald Trump’s Cabinet in early 2017, he kept his re-election bank account alive and has spent more than $50,000 from it since, including donations to several Republican lawmakers the White House was lobbying. A watchdog group and a former Federal Election Commission official say […]
3/13/2018
ETHICS/INTERIOR/RYAN ZINKE: “Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke defended himself at a Senate hearing Tuesday [3-13-18] morning over reports about his use of private charter flights, calling them ‘insults’ and ‘innuendos’ that are ‘misleading.’ He told the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources that he has taken three such flights, but did not include in his […]
3/12/2018
ETHICS/GOP/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Trump’s social media director, Dan Scavino Jr., posted a message on his government Twitter account calling for the defeat of a Republican congressman who had angered the president. His West Wing counselor, Kellyanne Conway, weighed in on the Alabama Senate race during television interviews from the White House lawn. His […]
3/12/2018
ETHICS/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR: “Donald Trump Jr. has a previously undisclosed business relationship with a Texas hedge fund manager and longtime hunting pal who raised millions of dollars for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and has special access to top government officials, it was reported on Monday [3-12-18]. The president’s son and Gentry Beach have been […]
3/10/2018
ETHICS/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WOMEN: “An ethics watchdog has filed a criminal and civil complaint over a payment by President Trump’s lawyer to an adult-film actress to stay quiet about an alleged affair with Trump. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed complaints with the Department of Justice and the Office of Government Ethics over […]
3/9/2018
CABINET/ETHICS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The White House held private meetings with four Cabinet-level officials last month to scold them for embarrassing stories about questionable ethical behavior at their respective agencies, sources familiar with the sessions tell CNN. Internal watchdogs have launched at least nine audits, reviews or investigations across several Cabinet agencies, and stories about first-class travel, […]
3/9/2018
ETHICS/TREASURY/TRUMP BUSINESS: “The Trump Organization said Friday [3-9-18] it donated about $150,000 to the U.S. Treasury last month, an amount the company said represented its 2017 profits from foreign governments. George Sorial, executive vice president of the Trump Organization, said in a statement the donation was ‘voluntary’ and ‘fulfills our pledge to donate profits from […]
3/9/2018
ETHICS/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/MICHAEL COHEN/WOMEN: “The lawyer handling the Stormy Daniels scandal for President Donald Trump’s corporate and personal representative, Michael Cohen, comes from the same small New York law firm that earned thousands of dollars from the Trump campaign at the end of last year. Cohen’s use of a law firm connected to Trump’s […]
3/8/2018
ETHICS/INTERIOR/RYAN ZINKE: “The doors to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s office are getting a nearly $139,000 upgrade. The Interior Department confirmed the project Thursday [3-8-18], saying it is both necessary to replace old doors that are in ‘disrepair’ and attributing the high cost to the historical nature of the building. News of the $138,670 contract comes […]
3/8/2018
ETHICS/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WOMEN: “There is pervasive anxiety inside the walls of the White House over the fallout around allegations leveled against President Donald Trump by porn actress Stormy Daniels, multiple sources tell CNN, with some officials worried that the salacious accusations and tangled legal fight could dwarf past controversies. The story of the pair’s alleged […]
3/8/2018
ETHICS/KELLYANNE CONWAY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Kellyanne Conway said Thursday [3-8-18] she had spoken to President Donald Trump about a watchdog report that found her past remarks on the Alabama special election to be in violation of federal law, but the counselor to the president declined to say whether she would face disciplinary action over the ethics breach… […]
3/6/2018
ETHICS/KELLYANNE CONWAY/LEGAL: “The US Office of Special Counsel announced Tuesday [3-6-18] that White House aide Kellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act on two occasions by ‘advocating for and against candidates’ in last year’s Alabama Senate special election. In a new report, the OSC special counsel, Henry Kerner, pointed to Conway’s TV interviews conducted in her […]
3/6/2018
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/ENERGY/EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT: “U.S. House Democrats want answers from Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt about political appointees in his agency who got special permission to moonlight for outside clients, which they said may compromise their impartiality. Top Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its oversight subcommittee said they sent questions […]
3/5/2018
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/ETHICS/TRUMP BUSINESS: “The Trump Organization could be in hot legal water after ordering markers for its golf courses that feature the presidential seal, ProPublica reported Monday [3-5-18]. President Donald Trump’s namesake company ordered the new tee markers, complete with the presidential seal, in recent weeks. Federal law forbids the seal be used for […]
3/1/2018
BEN CARSON/ETHICS/HUD: “Ben Carson, the secretary of housing and urban development, is attempting to cancel a $31,000 order for a customized hardwood dining room table, chairs, sideboard and hutch the day after the chairman of the House Oversight Committee announced an investigation into the refurbishment of his HUD office… On Tuesday, Raffi Williams, a department […]
3/1/2018
BUSINESS/CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/ETHICS/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “White House senior adviser Jared Kushner’s family real estate group obtained business loans after Kushner met with the company heads in his official government capacity, The New York Times reported Wednesday [2-28-18]. According to the Times, Kushner met with Joshua Harris, one of the founders of Apollo Global Management, on […]
2/27/2018
BEN CARSON/ETHICS/HUD: “Department of Housing and Urban Development officials spent $31,000 on a new dining room set for Secretary Ben Carson’s office in late 2017 — just as the White House circulated its plans to slash HUD’s programs for the homeless, elderly and poor, according to federal procurement records. The purchase of the custom hardwood […]
2/27/2018
2A/ETHICS/GUNS/INTERIOR/NRA/RYAN ZINKE: “In September, women gun owners and enthusiasts from the National Rifle Association headed to a plush Four Seasons resort in Texas for an annual retreat and clay shooting at the Dallas Gun Club with one of the weekend’s headliners: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke… The meeting appears on the secretary’s official schedule as an […]
2/27/2018
BEN CARSON/ETHICS/HUD/TREASURY: “A high-ranking civil servant at the Department of Housing and Urban Development claims she was demoted after raising concerns about agency spending and Secretary Ben Carson’s redecorating plans. In a sworn complaint to the Office of Special Counsel, HUD official Helen Foster said she was targeted for reprisals in part because incoming Trump […]
2/21/2018
EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT: “The chairman of the House Oversight Committee — in a prominent instance of Republican scrutiny of the Environmental Protection Agency under Scott Pruitt — demanded on Wednesday [2-21-18] that the E.P.A. chief turn over documents related to his first-class travel at taxpayer expense. Representative Trey Gowdy, Republican of South Carolina, called on Mr. […]
2/15/2018
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/ETHICS/IRS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP FAMILY/MELANIA: “President Trump’s inaugural committee paid nearly $26 million to an event planning firm started by an adviser to the first lady, Melania Trump, while donating $5 million — less than expected — to charity, according to tax filings released on Thursday [2-15-18]. The nonprofit group that oversaw Mr. Trump’s […]
2/15/2018
ETHICS/VA/VETS: “Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said Thursday [2-15-18] he would reimburse the U.S. government for costs associated with a trip to Europe that was the subject of a critical internal-watchdog report, and added that he wouldn’t resign. Dr. Shulkin told reporters that he would pay back the government for his wife’s travel costs for […]
2/14/2018
ETHICS/VA/VETS: “Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin improperly accepted a gift of Wimbledon tennis tickets, misspent taxpayer money and misused department resources in an official trip to Europe last year, according to an inspector general’s report released Wednesday [2-15-18]. The report also said a department employee acted as a ‘personal travel concierge’ during the trip to […]
2/14/2018
ETHICS/VA/VETS: “Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin improperly accepted a gift of Wimbledon tennis tickets, misspent taxpayer money and misused department resources in an official trip to Europe last year, according to an inspector general’s report released Wednesday [2-14-18]. The report also said a department employee acted as a ‘personal travel concierge’ during the trip to […]
2/12/2018
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/ETHICS/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP FAMILY: “One week after the 2016 election, President-elect Donald J. Trump tweeted that he was ‘not trying to get *top level security clearance* for my children,’ calling such claims ‘a typically false news story.’ But he said nothing at the time about his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Nearly 15 months […]
2/7/2018
ETHICS/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s new pick to head a key federal ethics office is winning praise from an unlikely source: the man who quit the post last year. The White House announced Wednesday [2-7-18] evening that Trump intends to nominate a current associate counsel at the Office of Government Ethics, Emory Rounds, to […]
2/6/2018
ETHICS/HOUSE OF REPS/LEGAL: “The House of Representatives voted Tuesday [2-6-18] to overhaul its policies on sexual harassment, banning lawmakers from using taxpayer funds to pay for settlements and mandating public reporting of cases. The measures, which passed unanimously, would mark a major shift in how sexual-harassment claims are handled in the Capitol. The legislation, which […]
1/22/2018
2016 ELECTION/ETHICS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A government-watchdog group filed complaints Monday with the Federal Election Commission and the Justice Department asking the agencies to investigate a $130,000 payment arranged by President Donald Trump’s lawyer to a former adult-film star before the 2016 presidential election. Common Cause, based in Washington, D.C., said the payment, revealed in […]