One of Shaub's top concerns was that the current president and his administration "is flouting or directly challenged long-standing norms that threaten to undermine the United States' ethical standards."
As a case in point, the Times noted over the weekend the US Women's Open was held at one of the 45th's golf courses. The Women's Open paid to have their tournament held there. The 45th has visited his family's business properties on at least 54 days within the first (almost) six months of his presidency.
(It's also been reported that a sister of Jared Kushner has been offering special EB-5 visas to Chinese business folk as an incentive for them to invest at least $500,000 in family properties).
Such activities, say Mr. Shaub "create the appearance of profiting from the presidency." And misuse of position is what the Office of Government Ethics investigates.
Meanwhile, a growing list of high-priced lawyers have been hired by the 45th and members of his administration to defend against on-going investigation of possible ethics violations.
Shaub has offered a few recommendations to help cut down on such potential conflicts of interest. Among them are:
. Give the Office of Government Ethics limited power to subpoena records (like tax returns)
. Mandate that presidential candidates release their tax returns
. Revise financial disclosure rules
As Shaub prepares to leave his job, Chair of the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee, Rep. Trey Gowdy, and the top-ranking Democrat on the same committee, Elijah Cummings, are set to meet with him.
The Times article noted that every other president in recent decades has voluntarily sold their assets before taking office to avoid conflicts of interest. Instead, the 45th has "put his hotels, golf courses and other buildings and marketing agreements into a trust controlled by his adult sons and other Trump Organization executives."
It's significant that Shaub is resigning from a position that is typically held for five years. He was appointed by President Obama in 2013.
The Times story included a quote from Hui Chen, who served as an ethics expert in the Justice Department's Fraud Section. She said, "Anytime when we see a company with a chief compliance officer making what we call a 'loud withdraw,' it is considered a red flag for a company."
Mr. Shaub said, "Historically presidential candidates and office holders have voluntarily released their tax returns and divested their holdings. Mr. Trump has not."
To avoid appearance of partisanship, Shaub is considering recommending that new rules for the Office of Government Ethics, if enacted, not take effect until 2021, after the current president's term.
Shaub explained, "My goal from the start has been to advance the ethics program, not a political goal."
NPR had earlier reported on Shaub's seeking help from the House Oversight & Government Ethics Committee in handling investigations in response to the current president filling White House and federal agency positions with former lobbyists and consultants with potential conflicts of interest. These individuals were appointed to leadership positions without having to fulfill ethics requirements.
As a final thought, faith-minded individuals can recall that there are numerous references in the Bible to "false scales" or weights (for example: Leviticus 19:36, Deuteronomy 25:13 and most of the 11th chapter of Proverbs). In a nutshell, God doesn't appear to like them and offers lots of warnings against unscrupulous dealings. We're cautioned to stay away from unjust, unethical individuals. It doesn't turn out well for them or their associates.
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If you're curious as to Mr. Shaub's recommendations, take a look.
Photo Credit: NPR (top)
NSW Dept. of Justice (bottom)
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