Category Archives: conflict of interest laws
“For a prominent California consumer group and savvy political consultants, documents reveal a close financial relationship”
Great reporting from John Myers for the LAT:
For three years, Lehane and Fabiani served as directors of Main Street American Values — an organization with no staff and a low public profile. In every year the nonprofit made donations,… Continue reading
“Judge Pushes Back Against Trump Administration’s View of Emoluments Clause”
WSJ:
The hearing Wednesday marked the first public airing of arguments over the scope of the provisions and the definition of an “emolument.” Democrats in Congress and the attorneys general of the District of Columbia and Maryland filed similar lawsuits… Continue reading
“Is Trump Violating the Constitution? In Absentia, He Defends Himself in Court”
NYT:
Donald J. Trump, Defendant” has graced reams of court papers through decades of dealmaking and New York real estate litigiousness.
“Donald J. Trump, in his official capacity as President of the United States of America” remains a relatively new… Continue reading
“Lobbyists Use of Capitol Meeting Space Raises Questions”
Roll Call:
A recent panel discussion about alleged governmental corruption in Ukraine, organized by lobbyist and former Rep. Connie Mack, has raised questions about the appropriate uses of meeting rooms under the House speaker’s jurisdiction.
It also offers a… Continue reading
“The White House Isn’t Doing Its Staff Any Favors By Not Setting Limits on Who Can Pay Their Legal Fees”
Dan Weiner:
The reality is that, notwithstanding anything OGE says, federal law contains broad prohibitions against bribery, conflicts of interest, and similar misconduct. Any government official or employee who uses her position to benefit a donor to her legal defense… Continue reading
“Trump ethics watchdog moves to allow anonymous gifts to legal defense funds”
Politico:
The U.S. Office of Government Ethics has quietly reversed its own internal policy prohibiting anonymous donations from lobbyists to White House staffers who have legal defense funds.
The little-noticed change could help President Donald Trump’s aides raise the money… Continue reading
“Members of Congress scoring personal loans from political supporters”
CPI reports:
A review of mandatory personal financial disclosure forms filed by all current members of the House and Senate reveals at least 19 have accepted loans from organizations or moneyed individuals instead of a bank or traditional financial institution.… Continue reading
“Trump Already Profiting from 2020 Campaign”
“Trump Loyalist Mixes Businesses and Access at ‘Advisory’ Firm”
NYT:
About a week after leaving his old firm, Mr. Lewandowski started a new consulting business, according to corporate filings. And now, as he takes on an increasingly broad role as an unofficial White House adviser, he is building a… Continue reading
“Steve Bannon has a shadow press office. It may violate federal law.”
CPI:
In an arrangement prominent ethics experts say is without precedent and potentially illegal, the White House is referring questions for senior presidential adviser Stephen K. Bannon to an outside public relations agent whose firm says she is working for… Continue reading
“Postal Service broke law in pushing time off for workers to campaign for Clinton, investigation finds”
WaPo:
The U.S. Postal Service engaged in widespread violations of federal law by pressuring managers to approve letter carriers’ taking time off last fall to campaign for Hillary Clinton and other union-backed Democrats, investigators said Wednesday.
High-level postal officials had… Continue reading
“The Political Defense—and Ethics—of Donald Trump”
Bob Bauer at Lawfare.
“Outgoing Ethics Chief: U.S. Is ‘Close to a Laughingstock’”
NYT:
Actions by President Trump and his administration have created a historic ethics crisis, the departing head of the Office of Government Ethics said. He called for major changes in federal law to expand the power and reach of the… Continue reading