Trump could choose government’s top ethics official – after key ally blocked Biden’s pick

CNN
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president-elect Donald Trump may be able to choose the government’s top ethics czar when he takes office in January – after a key ally in the Senate blocked the president Joe Bidenwe elect head of the Office of Government Ethics.

Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee objected in September to the Senate’s quick confirmation of David Huitema to the post, a little more than a year after Biden first nominated him. In his Senate speech, Lee said the confirmation vote should be delayed until after the presidential election, citing what he called the U.S. government’s “political weaponry against Donald Trump by the Biden-Harris administration.”

Huitema worked as an ethics official at the State Department.

Lee’s office did not respond to CNN’s request on Thursday about the nomination.

Independent watchdog groups outside government say the agency, known as OGE, needs a permanent director to help oversee the flow of ethics reviews that are part of the transition to a new administration.

Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the liberal group Public Citizen, called the blank post “incredibly troubling.”

“We certainly believe that ethics should not be a partisan game, and that is where the delay in appointing a new director of OGE lies, so that the new administration can choose its new position on ethics,” Gilbert said.

Directors serve five-year terms, allowing them to duplicate administrations as part of an effort to reduce partisanship, she noted.

The federal agency is charged with enforcing ethics laws aimed at preventing corruption. It helps vet presidential candidates and determines whether those entering government service should sell their assets to avoid conflicts of interest.

Traditionally, “these positions are relatively consistent because they serve both Republican and Democratic administrations, and all prioritize ethics,” said Virginia Kanter, chief ethics counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

Trump, however, has consistently abandoned historical norms.

His latest financial disclosures as a candidate showed that he continues to earn millions from his properties, books and licensing deals. He and his family recently launched new cryptocurrency business.

A a significant portion of his net worthMeanwhile, he is affiliated with the publicly traded parent company of Truth Social, a conservative social network. Trump is the dominant shareholder.

A Trump spokesman did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.

Walter Schaubdirector of OGE when Trump first took office in 2017, clashed repeatedly with the then-president early in Trump’s first term. Among other things, he openly criticized Trump for not giving up ownership of his real estate and licensing empire. Schaub resigned in July 2017, before his term expired.

At the time, Trump did not give up his stake in his business empire. Instead, he handed over control to his two sons and a Trump Organization employee. Federal law does not require presidents to dispose of their assets before taking office, but previous officials have taken pains to avoid the appearance of improper dealings. Presidents from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush kept their assets in independently managed trusts.

The president-elect has not publicly announced how he will handle potential conflicts in a second administration.

Previous director of OGE, Trump appointee Emory Roundsleft position in July 2023. The acting director is Shelley Finlayson, an experienced agency employee.