Trump makes US seem a 'kleptocracy', says ex-ethics chief Walter Shaub
Source: Guardian News
Shaub, who quit job at head of Office of Government Ethics this month, describes ‘embarrassment’ of Trump’s business ties as president
David Smith in Washington
@smithinamerica
Monday 31 July 2017 02.00 EDT
The former head of the US government ethics watchdog has warned that Donald Trump’s conflicts of interest put the country at risk of being seen as a “kleptocracy”.
Speaking to the Guardian, Walter Shaub, who quit this month as director of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), condemned the president for using his hotels and other properties for government business in what is in effect a free advertising campaign.
“His actions create the appearance of profiting from the presidency, and the appearance here is everything, because the demand I’m making is so much more than ‘have a clean heart’. It’s: ‘Have a clean heart and act appropriately,’” Shaub said.
“The fact that we’re having to ask questions about whether he’s intentionally using the presidency for profit is bad enough, because the appearance itself undermines confidence in government.”
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/31/trump-ethics-chief-walter-shaub-kleptocracy
= new reply since forum marked as read
We are a Kleptocracy with a certain Kakistrophic Klusterf... "taint"
...but to each his own.
It's obvious to the world that Trump has effectively shredded our Constitution, and he's doing whatever the hell he wants and getting away with it. We're sitting on our hands and watching him do it, pretending we still go by the "rule of law" when we plainly no longer have that protection.
Trump is daring us to stop him, and to hold him to the oath he took to uphold the Constitution. "Having a clean heart and acting appropriately" does not apply. The world needs to see our resolve - and very soon!
