Trump appears to kill Obama's ethics rule preventing corporations from buying White House influence

[DonViejo]

Source: International Business Times

26 JAN 2017 AT 10:47 ET

When ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson signed on to work for Donald Trump’s new administration, he set himself up to receive a quick cash infusion: Exxon committed to giving him an $180 million retirement package just as he moves to lead a State Department that oversees Exxon-related public policy. For years, ethics watchdogs have said such payouts could be a way for corporations to buy influence from incoming government officials. But, watchdogs said, at least for federal officials' first two years in office, they were barred by a rule from participating in government business affecting their former employers.

That prohibition may no longer apply. As President Trump stocks his administration with Tillerson and other moguls whose companies have business with the government, the 8-year-old rule appears to be going unenforced -- even if it is still on the books.

A review of agreements between Trump’s top appointees and federal ethics regulators shows that none of the compacts mentions the 2009 executive order that requires incoming officials to sign a pledge to avoid participating in policies that “directly and substantially relate to [their] former employer or former clients” for the first two years of government service. Obama-era ethics agreements included standard language obligating political appointees to follow the rule.

If the ethics pledge rule is not enforced, watchdog groups say, Trump officials entering the administration from the private sector could quickly be in a position to use their government positions to enrich their former paymasters. Rather than facing a full two-year restriction as required by the Obama-era executive order, they would encounter only the one-year restriction previously enshrined in federal law.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/2017/01/trump-appears-to-kill-obamas-ethics-rule-preventing-corporations-from-buying-white-house-influence/

[saidsimplesimon]

1. Pick our fights?

Others have said that the Republican strategy is to force US to fight their messages on many fronts. Let's pick our battles, strategy and actions to have the greatest positive impact on the well being of all citizens of the world.

[ffr]

2. Jobs. Putting American's back to work.

Kill the ethics panels.

Wait, what? I thought your message was to put Joe and Jane Hoodwink back to work and give them good paying jobs. Now you're talking about killing ethics panels and silencing federal workers? What's all that about?

[yallerdawg]

3. By the time we rid ourselves of Putin's useful idiot...

we're going to need a lot more rules, regulations and laws so this never happens again!

At least 75% more than when he went in!

[ffr]

4. Or an IQ test or even one that can at least make some sense of what the scribble on paper.

[Dustlawyer]

5. We need an independent enforcement arm with teeth to enforce what we

already have on the books, not an appointee of the people we need investigated!

[IronLionZion]

6. Dude bragged openly of buying influence

it's probably the real reason he ran for president is so rich people would buy his influence. From the moment he claimed he's so rich he can't be bought, I figured that he's a dude who wants to be bought.