Federal Ethics Chief Wants Meeting With GOP Oversight Chair To Be Public
Source: Talking Points Memo
By MATT SHUHAM Published JANUARY 18, 2017, 10:27 AM EDT
The director of the Office of Government Ethics has requested that a private interview with House Oversight Committee leadership and staff be held in public, given the significant public interest in government ethics since Election Day.
In a letter dated Monday, Shaub responded to House Oversight Committee Chair Jason Chaffetzs (R-UT) request for him to meet with committee leadership and staff in response to the office's public statements, including a series of bizarre tweets Shaubs office had sent urging President-elect Donald Trump to divest from his business interests.
A day before Chaffetz sent Shaub the interview request, the OGE chief delivered a speech at the Brookings Institution that was harshly critical of Trumps plan to separate himself from his businesses, calling it wholly inadequate. Shaub noted in his letter that over the weekend Chaffetzs office had modified your original request and proposed a private meeting with you and the Ranking Member and your respective staffs.
Since the election, there has been significant public interest in OGE and government ethics issues, Shaub wrote to Chaffetz. Our office has received an unprecedented volume of telephone calls, emails, and letters from members of the public related to our executive branch ethics program. As these communications make clear, the public wants to understand conflicts of interest in government and the role that OGE plays in preventing conflicts from hindering effective governance. Holding our meeting in public is in accordance with OGEs educational function and will further ensure transparency in how we approach ethical governance.
Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/walter-shaub-wants-chaffetz-meeting-to-be-public
DFW
(54,377 posts)The last thing scum like Chaffetz wants is to be held up to public scrutiny.
Ligyron
(7,632 posts)MBS
(9,688 posts)myrna minx
(22,772 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Mine belongs to the Kochs, but I don't mind irritating his office staff. I want the meeting public also.
lark
(23,099 posts)Chaffetz doesn't want any light shined on his planned threatening of the OGE, wants to keep Americans in the dark as to him and his party's true vile natures.