Category Archives: ethics investigations

“White House Backs Down on Keeping Ethics Waivers Secret”

May 30, 2017, 8:00 amconflict of interest laws, ethics investigations, lobbyingRick Hasen

Eric Lipton for the NYT: The White House unexpectedly backed down Friday in a confrontation with the government’s top ethics officer, announcing it will publicly disclose waivers that have been quietly handed out since January to let certain former lobbyists… Continue reading

“Brian Svoboda on the Ends of Congressional Ethics Enforcement”

May 22, 2017, 5:47 amconflict of interest laws, ethics investigations, legislation and legislaturesRick Hasen

Important guest post from Brian Svoboda over at Bob Bauer’s blog. Bob’s intro: My colleague Brian Svoboda, an expert in congressional ethics, has written an insightful commentary on how we might think about the ends and design of effective congressional… Continue reading

FL Ethics Board Clears AG Bondi Over Trump Contribution

April 22, 2017, 3:54 pmethics investigationsRick Hasen

Palm Beach Post: After conducting a probe that included a face-to-face interview with Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, the state’s ethics commission is throwing out complaints related to Bondi’s decision to seek a $25,000 campaign contribution from Donald Trump nearly… Continue reading

“Ethics Issues and Resolutions: The Conway Case”

March 14, 2017, 7:11 amconflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

Bob Bauer, a former White House Counsel, on what the message to Kellyane Conway from the White House Counsel’s office should have said.

“Just when you thought the Trump ethics disaster couldn’t get worse, it did”

January 17, 2017, 7:20 amconflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

Painter and Eisen WaPo oped.

“Trump’s Cabinet pick invested in company, then introduced a bill to help it”

January 17, 2017, 7:17 amconflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

Manu Raju for CNN.

“Trump aide Reince Priebus warns ethics chief to ‘be careful’”

January 15, 2017, 8:25 amconflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

WaPo: Donald Trump’s incoming White House chief of staff warned the director of the Office of Government Ethics on Sunday to “be careful” about criticizing Trump’s handling of his business conflicts.

“The Law-or-Ethics Question for Congressional Ethics”

January 9, 2017, 7:55 amconflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

Bauer blogs.

“Senate Confirmation Hearings to Begin Without All Background Checks”

January 7, 2017, 11:25 amconflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

NYT: In a letter to Senators Chuck Schumer of New York and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the head of the Office of Government Ethics, Walter M. Shaub Jr., said on Friday that “the announced hearing schedule for several nominees who… Continue reading

“A House rules change you didn’t hear much about — and prosecutors won’t like”

January 5, 2017, 2:11 pmethics investigations, legislation and legislaturesRick Hasen

Open Secrets: The Office of Congressional Ethics was saved from the landfill — where House Republicans had tried to bury it — by public outcry and a couple of tweets from President-elect Donald Trump. But few noticed a sentence… Continue reading

“Drain the Swamp: Conflicts of Interest, Lobbying, and Corruption Solutions to Restore Trust in Government that Works for Americans”

January 5, 2017, 8:55 ambribery, campaign finance, chicanery, conflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

Release: Today, the Center for American Progress released a new report to address the threats to representative self-government inherent in special interest lobbying, revolving door politics, corruption of public service, and lax ethics and contracting oversight, as well as the… Continue reading

Facing Public Outcry (Not “Rebuke” from Trump), House Caves on Gutting of Ethics Office

January 3, 2017, 12:26 pmconflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

NYT: House Republicans, facing a storm of bipartisan criticism, including from President-elect Donald J. Trump, moved early Tuesday afternoon to reverse their plan to gut the Office of Congressional Ethics. It was an embarrassing turnabout on the first… Continue reading

New Office of Congressional Ethics Cannot Communicate with Public in Any Way

January 2, 2017, 6:44 pmchicanery, conflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

Matt Viser highlights a wow detail. Eric Lipton for the NYT: The surprising vote came on the eve of the start of a new session of Congress, with emboldened Republicans ready to push an ambitious agenda on everything from health… Continue reading

‘House Republicans gut their own oversight”

January 2, 2017, 5:29 pmconflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

Politico: In one of their first moves of the new Congress, House Republicans have voted to gut their own independent ethics watchdog — a huge blow to cheerleaders of congressional oversight and one that dismantles major reforms adopted after the… Continue reading