Tag: ethics

Democrats Go Into 2019 With Ethics Blazing

Campaign finance is high on Democrats’ agenda. Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi rolled out some details last week. Credit: Bill Clark, CQ Roll Call

Pelosi, Sarbanes tease dark money overhaul as the party’s grand opening salvo

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Maryland Rep. John Sarbanes offered a sneak peak Friday of what will likely be christened HR 1 in the 116th Congress. Instead of starting from scratch, the bill will draw from numerous existing proposals — including some that have languished for years during GOP control.

Though short on specifics, the pair revealed that the package will draw from an existing voting rights measure (HR 2978) and a proposed change in federal ethics laws that would require disclosure of presidential tax returns. Sarbanes, who leads the party’s Democracy Reform Task Force and has been working on the measure for months, called it a once in a generation opportunity to overhaul the nation’s political system. It also will offer Democrats a template as they head into the 2020 presidential campaigns. President Donald Trump, for example, has refused to release his tax returns.

View the complete December 3 article by Kate Ackley on The Roll Call website here.

 

Tracking the President’s Visits to Trump Properties

Karen Yourish and Troy Griggs with the New York Times are tracking the presidents visits to properties owned, managed or branded by the Trump Organization (An ethics concern for many, and as taxpayers, we wonder who’s paying for these visits there for the president, his family and guests. We can only guess it’s taxpayers like you and us, as we know the president is proud of not paying his.)

We’re embedding the post here, so the running total will be up-to-date. If you click on the image, a scroll bar will allow you move through the post.

Trump has given Fox News more than $5 million in free social-media advertising

The following article by Philip Bump was posted on the Washington Post website March 28, 2017:

We’ve become accustomed to tweets like this from President Trump.

Continue reading “Trump has given Fox News more than $5 million in free social-media advertising”

WH Ethics Office Says Kellyanne Conway ‘Inadvertently’ Plugged Ivanka Trump’s Clothes

The following article by Alex Johnson was posted on the NBC News website March 2, 2017:

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Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump, acted “inadvertently” when she told Americans to “go buy Ivanka’s stuff” and has promised never to do it again, the White House ethics office said in a letter made public Wednesday. Continue reading “WH Ethics Office Says Kellyanne Conway ‘Inadvertently’ Plugged Ivanka Trump’s Clothes”

What America Has To Say About Donald Trump’s Ethics

The following article by Jonathan D. Salant of NJ.com was posted on the National Memo website February 24, 2017:

President Trump speaks on Monday before signing an executive order while surrounded by small business leaders in the White House. (Andrew Harrer / Sipa USA)

As lawmakers seek to force Donald Trump to release his income tax returns, a majority of Americans indicated they believed the president has done something illegal or unethical.

In a McClatchy-Marist survey asking about potential conflicts of interest between Trump’s business holdings and his duties as president, just 41 percent said he had done nothing wrong, while 53 percent said Trump has done something illegal or unethical.

Trump broke with decades of precedent and refused to release his income tax returns while running for president. He has continued to say he will make them public once tax audits are done.

Trump’s popularity ‘sinking like a rock’

Continue reading “What America Has To Say About Donald Trump’s Ethics”

If Melania Trump Isn’t In Business, Why Are Her Companies Still Active?

The following article by Kevin G. Hall of the McClatchy Washington Bureau was posted on the National Memo website February 23, 2017:

REUTERS/Rick Wilking

First lady Melania Trump has several companies that are still active enterprises, raising questions about whether they will be used for profit while she is in the White House.

Beyond the 564 companies listed in then-candidate Donald Trump’s May 2016 financial disclosure were seven companies associated with his wife.

All but one of her companies had been listed in the disclosure as active, and five of the seven were still active as of Feb. 21. The one Melania Trump company he listed last year as having inactive assets — Melania LLC — appears to be an ongoing and active company in the records of the New York State Division of Corporations. Continue reading “If Melania Trump Isn’t In Business, Why Are Her Companies Still Active?”

Resolution of Inquiry – Sounds Boring But It’s Important

The following article was posted on the TrumpAccountable.org website February 23, 2017:

President Trump, accompanied by Vice President Pence, center, shakes hands with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) on Thursday at a Republican congressional retreat. (Matt Rourke/AP)

The House leadership has signaled that they intend to bury a Resolution of Inquiry introduced by Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) in the House Judiciary Committee so it can’t come to a vote in the full House. Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) will likely let the resolution die. The relevant facts are:

  • The Resolution Of Inquiry directs “the Department of Justice to provide the House of Representatives with any and all information relevant to an inquiry into President Trump and his associates’ conflicts of interest, ethical violations—including the Emoluments Clause—and Russia ties.”
  • While these kinds of resolutions are rare, Nadler and his Democratic colleagues feel that the unprecedented conflicts of interest surrounding the administration demand greater scrutiny and the House Oversight Committee has not exerted much effort to investigate issues that many Americans are concerned about. “Republicans have shown zero willingness to follow through on their duty to conduct oversight,” according to Nadler, “and they must be held accountable if they are truly willing to abdicate this constitutional obligation and must be made to answer to the American people for that failure.”
  • Make no mistake: “accountable to the American people” is an enormous issue. By sending the Resolution of Inquiry to committee to die members of the House will not have to go on record and won’t be accountable for lax oversight of Trump’s actions and conflicts.

Continue reading “Resolution of Inquiry – Sounds Boring But It’s Important”

Deutsche Bank Remains Trump’s Biggest Conflict of Interest Despite Settlements

The following article by Jesse Eisenger was posted on the ProPubica website February 9, 2107:

If you measure President Donald Trump’s conflicts of interest by the amount of money at stake, or the variety of dicey interactions with government regulators, one dwarfs any other: his relationship with Deutsche Bank.

In recent weeks, Deutsche Bank has scrambled to reach agreements with American regulators over a host of alleged misdeeds. But because the president has not sold his company, the bank remains a central arena for potential conflicts between his family’s business interests and the actions of officials in his administration.  Continue reading “Deutsche Bank Remains Trump’s Biggest Conflict of Interest Despite Settlements”

National security adviser Flynn discussed sanctions with Russian ambassador, despite denials, officials say

The following article by Greg Miller, Adam Entous and Ellen Nakashima was posted on the Washington Post website February 9, 2017:

National security adviser Michael Flynn privately discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country’s ambassador to the United States during the month before President Trump took office, contrary to public assertions by Trump officials, current and former U.S. officials said. Continue reading “National security adviser Flynn discussed sanctions with Russian ambassador, despite denials, officials say”

Activists: Charities must move galas from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago

The following article by Terry Spencer with the Associates Press was released February 5, 2017:

Protesters are demanding that charities move their upcoming galas from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

Petitions are circulating that the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Cleveland Clinic move or cancel gala’s scheduled for the Florida club’s ballroom later this month. A protest march was held Saturday near Mar-a-Lago to coincide with Trump’s appearance at an American Red Cross event there. Continue reading “Activists: Charities must move galas from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago”