The Republicans are trying to ram through Trump's nominees for Cabinet appointments, with 5 confirmation hearings scheduled for Wednesday, 1/11 - the same day Trump will finally hold the first news conference since his election, in what seems to be an effort to divert the news cycle away from the individual nominee hearings.
But there's a problem - most nominees have not complied with the disclosure laws that are intended to prevent conflicts of interest, disclosures that are required BEFORE they sit for a confirmation hearing.
According to the NY Times:
****
Before Mr. Trump’s cabinet nominees begin their Senate confirmation hearings, they are required to file an extensive form, the 278, that lists stockholdings, business interests, board seats and other arrangements benefiting them, spouses, minor children, business partners or potential employers.
The Office of Government Ethics reviews incoming officials’ disclosures; flags potential problems; and negotiates an ethics agreement letter in which the nominee agrees to divest, resign or otherwise eliminate potential conflicts. The letter helps protect nominees if they are ever accused of deriving improper financial benefits from government service.
The process is thorough, and complicated for wealthy individuals with vast holdings. Penny Pritzker, a Hyatt Hotels heir now serving as commerce secretary, filed a 278 form that was 184 pages long, and she agreed to sell stakes in more than 200 entities.
Mr. Trump’s team has been far behind in this process. But instead of delaying hearings until his picks reveal their business ties, the transition team has joined some Senate Republicans in pushing to hold hearings without all the needed information — and in some cases pressuring the ethics office to sign off on incomplete disclosures. In one instance, a nominee filed an incomplete 278, and the transition team called the ethics office minutes later looking for an ethics agreement letter.
So far, the only nominees known to have filed complete 278s and signed ethics agreement letters are Senator Jeff Sessions, Mr. Trump’s choice for attorney general, whose hearing is set for Tuesday; Rex Tillerson, the Exxon chief picked as secretary of state, whose hearing is scheduled for Wednesday; and Mike Pompeo, the nominee for director of the Central Intelligence Agency, whose hearing is also set for Wednesday. Most of the rest have filed incomplete disclosures, have not yet signed ethics agreement letters or have submitted nothing at all.
A hearing is scheduled on Wednesday for Betsy DeVos, the billionaire education lobbyist named to be education secretary, whose disclosures are woefully incomplete. Hearings for Elaine Chao, Mr. Trump’s choice for transportation secretary; Gen. John Kelly, for homeland security secretary; Ben Carson, for housing secretary; and Wilbur Ross, for commerce secretary are also scheduled for next week.
*****
Just as side notes - Elaine Chao is the wife of Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader. Also, Betsy DeVos has contributed heavily to the Republican members of the committee that will be deciding whether or not she should be appointed. Make of that what you will.
And here you Trumpsters thought you were going to be getting something so much different in government. I guess in a way, you will - no previous administration has been this dismissive of the ethics laws before it was even in office. Without these disclosures, we have no way of knowing whether these people in his Cabinet could have a conflict of interest with matters that might come before their department. If that doesn't worry you, it should - it gives them the ability to put their personal interests over those of the American people.
Trump's not draining the swamp, he's just refreshing the water and switching out some of the alligators and snakes. And you all believed he was actually going to change things. Are you starting to see the con job yet?
|
