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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump Exempts Entire Senior Staff From White House Ethics Rules
President Donald Trump has exempted his entire senior staff from provisions of his own ethics rules to allow them to work with political and advocacy groups that support the administration.
Staffers given a pass on those rules include White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, who has the green light to communicate and meet with political, advocacy, trade, or non-profit organizations that formerly employed her consulting firm, despite ethics rules that would otherwise bar work with former clients.
Chief White House strategist Steve Bannon also received a waiver to the rules as part of a blanket exemption for all White House appointees allowing them to communicate with the press. His reported discussions with former colleagues at the pro-Trump site Breitbart News, which Bannon chaired until last year, had raised red flags among ethics watchdogs.
Bannon and Conway will both be free to work with a network of political groups backed by the wealthy Mercer family, which was integral to Trumps victory last year and continues to support his agenda as president.
The White House on Wednesday released a list of waivers to the ethics pledge imposed by a January executive order on all administration nominees and appointees. It agreed to do so only after a pointed exchange with federal ethics officials over the scope of their oversight authority.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-exempts-entire-senior-staff-from-white-house-ethics-rules
If there is anyone in our entire government who can put the brakes on this asshole, they'd better act quickly.
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)Things are going to get worse and I didn't even think that was possible. A psychopath's inflicted damage is limitless.
Baitball Blogger
(46,698 posts)This is exactly how the power circles in local communities work. They cross the line because they truly believe they are entitled to it.
And they continue to abuse their positions because no one can hold their feet to the fire.
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)No President should be able to waive ethics rules for any reason.
C_U_L8R
(44,997 posts)He didn't say the he'd drink the swamp.
bresue
(1,007 posts)Trying to get MSM to start discussing. This article came out late and no one is talking about it yet, but should. Thank you for alerting us so we act.