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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Thu Feb 21, 2019, 07:33 AM Feb 2019

Trump White House Is Forcing Interns to Sign NDAs and Threatening Them With Financial Ruin [View all]

Source: The Daily Beast



Not even the interns are exempt from the legally dubious rite of passage practiced by the Trump White House.

Asawin Suebsaeng

02.21.19 5:00 AM ET

When the Trump White House welcomed its newest batch of interns earlier this year, the director of the internship program, Zoe Jackman, did what administration officials normally do when fresh blood arrives: She warned them against being “leakers.”

Soon enough, according to three sources familiar with the process, a representative from the White House counsel’s office materialized to greet the newcomers, and to demand what the Trump White House has required of so many other interns and senior officials.

Upon orientation, the interns signed their very own non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), with the envoy of the counsel’s office warning them that a breach of the NDA—blabbing to the media, for instance—could result in legal, and thus financial, consequences for them. Interns were also told that they would not receive their own copies, these sources said.

This was all a standard facet of the Trump intern orientation process, billed as an “ethics training”—underscored by implicit legal threats from President Donald Trump’s in-house lawyers.



Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-white-house-is-forcing-interns-to-sign-ndas-and-threatening-them-with-financial-ruin?ref=home

44 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Some contractual terms are void because they are contrary to good public policy Cicada Feb 2019 #1
Unfortunately, the threat of litigation is a very effective club. Girard442 Feb 2019 #7
What type of person agrees to work for this bastard and for free? Screw them. olegramps Feb 2019 #27
I don't think Whitehouse interns work for free Merlot Feb 2019 #38
There's nothing to be learned in this WH except avoiding truthisfreedom Feb 2019 #41
I thought they were volunteers therefore without pay. I could be wrong. olegramps Feb 2019 #44
there is a former staffer organizing a classic action hlthe2b Feb 2019 #2
No James48 Feb 2019 #8
Yes... hlthe2b Feb 2019 #14
Good luck with that. moreland01 Feb 2019 #3
WTF? You sign something and don't get a copy of what you signed? DetlefK Feb 2019 #4
I was thinking the same thing PatSeg Feb 2019 #16
If they were hired without this condition, Sanity Claws Feb 2019 #5
Really, and what blows my mind, watoos Feb 2019 #11
It is worse than that exboyfil Feb 2019 #30
The best/worst part of this story PJMcK Feb 2019 #6
Nice grounds for a suit, I should think. dixiegrrrrl Feb 2019 #42
I agree. Don't be leakers. Become fully vetted whistleblowers instead. nt allgood33 Feb 2019 #9
Isn't there a lawsuit over whether the WH can force staff to sign NDAs? Honeycombe8 Feb 2019 #10
I thought there was one about Trump's women. dixiegrrrrl Feb 2019 #43
No contract is legal if signed under duress. -nt CTAtheist Feb 2019 #12
An NDA Does Not Expire When You Leave Employment DallasNE Feb 2019 #13
Not a Contract Roy Rolling Feb 2019 #15
It might be helpful to deny you were ever associated with Trump in any capacity. gordianot Feb 2019 #17
Boy, THAT sounds like a GREAT job. Still In Wisconsin Feb 2019 #18
Is this legal? TimeToGo Feb 2019 #19
Probably not zipplewrath Feb 2019 #21
It seems that is what Congress is for exboyfil Feb 2019 #31
"Ethics training" in this White House... catbyte Feb 2019 #20
Yep, that's hilarious! trusty elf Feb 2019 #40
This message was self-deleted by its author knightmaar Feb 2019 #22
This is "training" in the sense of training a recalcitrant dog muriel_volestrangler Feb 2019 #23
How is that even legal? procon Feb 2019 #24
As an intern, they don't get paid BumRushDaShow Feb 2019 #29
Regardless, aren't they still govt workers and not procon Feb 2019 #35
I understand your perspective BumRushDaShow Feb 2019 #36
Good point. Also, I thought that using NDAs to hide evidence of illegal activities voids the ... SWBTATTReg Feb 2019 #32
Anyone dumb enough to want to work in there BumRushDaShow Feb 2019 #25
If they are unpaid interns then chances are they come from privileged families Maggiemayhem Feb 2019 #26
Laws Don't Apply RobinA Feb 2019 #39
Fear & Intimidation on Day 1... EarthFirst Feb 2019 #28
The Mob. ffr Feb 2019 #33
Any way to do a Cease and Desist order? With teeth in it? mpcamb Feb 2019 #34
This message was self-deleted by its author geralmar Feb 2019 #37
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