Government ethics office says Trump keeps ignoring warnings to sell hisassets

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

New emails reveal that the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) reportedly “lost contact” with President-elect Donald Trump’s team during the ongoing transition to power, despite efforts to warn officials about ethical issues posed by nominees and “blind trusts.”

According to emails uncovered by MSNBC, OGE director Director Walter Shaub contacted Trump aides in November expressing deep frustration with the lack of cooperation between his organization and the president-elect’s team. Shaub reportedly cautioned Trump against creating a blind trust of his business holdings without speaking to the OGE first, noting that the ethics office only considers something a blind trust if its assets have “been sold off”—a very different standard that the “half-blind” trust floated by Trump’s own team. (To date, Trump has not suggested that he will sell off his assets.)

MSNBC noted that the emails, which it obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, included few details regarding any efforts by the president-elect to divest from assets that could result in potential conflicts of interest during his presidency.

“If we don’t get involved early to prevent problems, we won’t be able to help them after the fact.”

Shaub also argued that Trump’s staff was risking “embarrassment” by refusing to allow the ethics office to review the financial records of potential cabinet selections before they were announced, saying some could potentially violate federal law.

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-business-ethics-129d508178c9#.e52q0dv2i

[Angry Dragon]

1. Perhaps he will sell it to Putin

[politicat]

2. Can't sell what you don't own.

Assume he actually has the assets and cash he claims. Sure, he'll lose a little in the fire sale, but it's a cost of doing business. Old money does this all the time, when they run a scion for office. It'll be made up, and if everything's in a blind trust, he's got personal incentive to make every sector of the economy do well. It would be NBD and the accountants and lawyers would be going about the business quietly and with transparency.

But dude's a developer. They're almost always upside down because that's the business model. We know there's at least $350M in outstanding to one bank alone. Much of the supposed value of the businesses is in the brand name, which cannot be blinded. The side businesses are falling like dominoes and there's very little teevee income anymore to plaster over the cracks. (Exec producer credit... definitely not getting gross percentage of ad buy. Maybe a net point, but TV learned that lesson from the movie studios.)

Logic says he owes more than he's worth. Selling is a public transaction, especially if there's land or branding involved (title transfer is recorded; branding change is obvious) and there's no way to sell without showing the bluff for what it is. Dude's acting like he's broke and trying to hide it.

The creditors to be worried about aren't the legit ones. They are understand risk. The under-the-table creditors are the ones who have a proprietary, possessive feeling about their money.

[COLGATE4]

3. and, in another headline, water is wet. nt