Tag: conflict of interest

Trump’s AG Pick Sent Memo to Justice Department Criticizing Mueller Probe: Report

Credit: Time Warner via AP

Donald Trump’s choice for attorney general, William Barr, sent an unsolicited, 20-page memo to the Justice Department this year denouncing special counsel Robert Mueller’s inquiry into potential obstruction of justice by the president, The Wall Street Journal reports. Barr—who was nominated by Trump to take over for Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and would oversee Mueller’s investigation if confirmed—reportedly said the inquiry was based on a “fatally misconceived” theory that would damage the presidency. Barr reportedly sent the document, dated June 8, to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, writing that he thought his “views may be useful.”According to the Journal, Barr said he was concerned about the parts of the investigation examining whether Trump obstructed justice in requesting then-FBI Director James Comey to drop an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and by later firing Comey, because he believed the president had acted within his authority.

View the December 19 article on the Daily Beast website here.

Michael Cohen’s mystery third client was Fox News host Sean Hannity

The following article by Emily C. Singer was posted on the Mic.com website April 16, 2018:

Credit: Evan Agostini

Fox News host Sean Hannity is caught up in the brouhaha surrounding the FBI’s raid of President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen, it was revealed on Monday afternoon. Cohen went to court Monday to try to convince a judge that he should be able to review documents federal agents had seizedbefore federal investigators, in order to determine whether or not the documents were privileged.

But Federal investigators say Cohen’s claim would set a “dangerous precedent” that would allow “every person who has communicated with a lawyer” to “turn every search warrant into a subpoena and to demand the return of lawfully-seized evidence in order to undertake their own review of the evidence.”

In the course of Monday’s hearing, Cohen had to prove that he really is a practicing lawyer, which required him to reveal the number of clients he’s done work for, according to reports from inside the courtroom. Continue reading “Michael Cohen’s mystery third client was Fox News host Sean Hannity”

NLRB Member Is Under Investigation for a Conflict of Interest

The following article by Ian MacDougall was posted on the ProPublica website February 1, 2018:

Update: After ProPublica published this report Thursday morning, William Emanuel informed several members of Congress that he plans to revise his Jan. 26 letter. “I have reviewed my responses,” he wrote in a new letter obtained by ProPublica, “and believe they require clarification.” Emanuel explained that he plans to provide “a further response, clarification, or correction soon.”

The inspector general for the National Labor Relations Board is investigating whether a Trump appointee to the board breached government ethics rules, according to two congressional officials with knowledge of the investigation. Continue reading “NLRB Member Is Under Investigation for a Conflict of Interest”

CDC director resigns because of conflicts over financial interests

The following article by Lena H. Sun was posted on the Washington Post website January 31, 2018:

Brenda Fitzgerald, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since the summer, resigned her position on Wednesday. Credit:
Melissa Golden for The Washington Post

This post has been updated.

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resigned her position on Wednesday after only half a year because of “complex financial interests” that repeatedly forced her to recuse herself from the agency’s activities and kept her from testifying before lawmakers on public health issues.

According to a statement from the Health and Human Services department, Secretary Alex Azar, who was sworn in just two days ago, accepted Brenda Fitzgerald’s resignation because she could not divest from those interests “in a definitive time period.” Azar succeeded former Georgia congressman Tom Price, who was forced out in the fall following an uproar over his use of costly private charter aircraft for official travel. Continue reading “CDC director resigns because of conflicts over financial interests”

Education Dept. awards debt-collection contract to company with ties to DeVos

The following article by Danielle Douglas-Gabriel was posted on the Washington Post website January 12, 2018:

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaks in October at a dinner in Bellevue, Wash. Credit: Ted S. Warren/AP

A company that once had financial ties to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was one of two firms selected Thursday by the Education Department to help the agency collect overdue student loans. The deal could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The decision to award contracts to Windham Professionals and Performant Financial Corp. — a company DeVos invested in before becoming secretary — arrives a month after a federal judge ordered the department to complete its selection of a loan collector to put an end to a messy court battle. Windham and Performant beat out nearly 40 other bidders for contracts valued at up to $400 million, but their win may be short-lived if the losing companies fight the decision. Continue reading “Education Dept. awards debt-collection contract to company with ties to DeVos”

Trumps set to launch two real estate projects in India, despite conflict-of-interest concerns

The following article by Annie Gowen was posted on the Washington Post website October 28, 2017:

Donald Trump’s company is set to unveil a new luxury high-rise in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata. (Annie Gowen/The Washington Post)

KOLKATA, India — President Trump’s eldest son, Donald Jr., is expected to launch two residential projects in India for the Trump Organization in the coming weeks, continuing the family’s promotion of the Trump empire despite concerns over the president’s potential conflicts of interest with foreign governments.

The Trump Organization vowed early on there would be “no new foreign deals” during Trump’s tenure as president; these two projects in India were inked before his election.

But the high-profile launches demonstrate that the pledge comes with an asterisk — agreements made years ago can move forward or be revitalized, such as the Trumps’ 2007 deal to build a luxury beachfront resort in the Dominican Republic that may be revived, according to an Associated Press report.

The president did not divest his assets after he was elected and instead placed his business empire into a trust controlled by sons Don Jr. and Eric, who has traveled to Uruguay and accompanied Don Jr. to introduce a Trump-branded luxury golf course in Dubai and a hotel in Vancouver. Continue reading “Trumps set to launch two real estate projects in India, despite conflict-of-interest concerns”

Anti-sharia group offers donors a private tour and cocktails at Trump hotel

The following article by Amy Brittain and Abigail Hauslohner was posted on the Washington Post website June 20, 2017:

A controversial group that has held rallies against the spread of Islamic law is seeking to harness the allure of President Trump’s brand as it raises money for its upcoming Washington conference.

For $10,000, sponsors of the ACT for America gathering can enjoy “pre-conference cocktails” and a “private tour of the historic Trump International Hotel” alongside the group’s founder, Brigitte Gabriel, among other benefits, according to promotional materials published on the group’s website.

The walk through the hotel, in the stately Old Post Office Pavilion a few blocks from the White House, is scheduled to take place before participants head to Capitol Hill to hold lawmakers’ “feet to the fire” on national security issues, according to plans posted on the group’s website. The organization, which critics have decried as anti-Muslim, has repeatedly claimed that Judeo- Christian­ culture is under “assault” in America and that radical Islam is to blame.

The promotion represents a new twist in the story line of Trump’s luxury hotel, which has sparked several lawsuits and criticism from ethics experts alleging that the president is improperly profiting from foreign governments and other interest groups holding events at the property. Groups typically pay to book meeting space and food service at the Trump hotel like they would at any event venue, but ACT is touting the chance to enjoy access to a signature business owned by the president. Continue reading “Anti-sharia group offers donors a private tour and cocktails at Trump hotel”

Trump seeks sharp cuts to housing aid, except for program that brings him millions

The following article by Shawn Boburg was posted on the Washington Post website June 20, 2017:

A building in Starrett City, the largest federally subsidized rental complex in the country, located in Brooklyn. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

President Trump’s budget calls for sharply reducing funding for programs that shelter the poor and combat homelessness — with a notable exception: It leaves intact a type of federal housing subsidy that is paid directly to private landlords.

One of those landlords is Trump himself, who earns millions of dollars each year as a part-owner of Starrett City, the nation’s largest subsidized housing complex. Trump’s 4 percent stake in the Brooklyn complex earned him at least $5 million between January of last year and April 15, according to his recent financial disclosure.

Trump’s business empire intersects with government in countless ways, from taxation to permitting to the issuing of patents, but the housing subsidy is one of the clearest examples of the conflicts experts have predicted. While there is no indication that Trump himself was involved in the decision, it is nonetheless a stark illustration of how his financial interests can directly rise or fall on the policies of his administration. Continue reading “Trump seeks sharp cuts to housing aid, except for program that brings him millions”

Trump retains assets worth at least $1.4 billion, new disclosure shows

The following article by Matea Gold, Drew Harwell and Rosalind S. Helderman was posted on the Washington Post website June 16, 2017:

President Trump reported on a new financial disclosure that his far-flung real estate and hotel assets are worth at least $1.4 billion, a stark illustration of the complex financial interests he has maintained in the White House.

The report, which the president voluntarily filed with the Office of Government Ethics, shows that he collected an influx of new revenue from recent foreign deals and a surge of business at his signature Mar-a-Lago property in Florida. Continue reading “Trump retains assets worth at least $1.4 billion, new disclosure shows”

Trump Organization to Go Budget Friendly With ‘American Idea’ Hotel Chain

The following article by Steve Eder and Ben Protess was posted on the New York Times website June 5, 2017:

Credit Damon Winter/The New York Times

On the campaign trail, President Trump’s children rolled through dozens of small towns across the country, reveling in the adoration of the crowds. But they were less enamored of the budget-friendly hotels along the way, an assortment of run-of-the-mill offerings that were barely distinguishable from one another.

That led to a business idea. Continue reading “Trump Organization to Go Budget Friendly With ‘American Idea’ Hotel Chain”