#134) Ethics

July 7, 2017

Dear Mr. President,

I'd like to give a big shout out to Walter Shaub, departing director of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE).  He has very ably led the OGE for several years but has finally decided that it is time to leave.  I'm sure that you don't care...he is nothing but a thorn in your side and his departure means that you can nominate your own toady.  Kellyanne Conway perhaps? She seems to have a lot of extra time on her hands these days.

He is resigning, he said, because "OGE's recent experiences have made it clear that the ethics program needs to be strengthened."  By "recent experiences" he means sparring with your administration over compliance with basic ethics rules.  Like, for instance, putting your business assets into a blind trust run by a third party (as every president since the 1970s has done).   I mean that is what the OGE recommended you do.  What you actually did was simply move your business interests into a trust that you are the SOLE BENEFICIARY of run by your two sons and a business associate that you are in communication with all the time.  Anyway, Mr. Shaub is going to work for the Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy group for tougher campaign finance laws.  It sounds like a group where Mr. Shaub's skills and experience will be put to good use.

But enough about Walter Shaub - here's what's got me boiling today:  Why the hell doesn't the Office of Government Ethics have any power??!  Apparently the OGE can only "advise" on ethics and not actually enforce any rules.  Enforcement is what the House Oversight Committee is supposed to do but right now that committee is chaired by a Republican who is not too motivated to do much of anything (especially investigate or enforce your ethical violations).  His name is Jason Chaffetz and shame on him for putting party loyalty before loyalty to the Constitution.  He epitomizes what's going wrong with our government and will be receiving a strongly worded letter (or 2 or 3 or 5) from me.

Sincerely,

Amy Beaton

P.S.  That's right...I'm coming for you Jason Chaffetz!