President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House could be a bumpy ride because he has not pledged to avoid conflicts of interest, among other ethical concerns, while in office.
The New York Times reported that Trump’s transition team missed the Oct. 1 deadline to submit an ethics plan in accordance with the Presidential Transition Act. What’s more is NYT reported that Trump’s assembled transition team has refused to participate in the established transition process, usually beginning months before elections.
The team has also missed numerous deadlines for signing agreements required to participate in national security meetings and to gain access to federal agencies.
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“While transition planning is private activity, it is deeply connected to the activity of our government and the stewardship of public resources,” said Max Stier, the president and chief executive of the Partnership for Public Service. The nonpartisan group assists presidential candidates with the transition through the Center for Presidential Transition.
Stier added, “The avoidance of conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest is critical to that task.”
Trump was the very reason Congress amended the Presidential Transition Act law in 2019, which requires candidates to post an ethics plan with “information on how eligible presidential candidates will address their own conflicts of interest during a presidential term.”
Although Trump’s transition leadership has drafted an ethics code and statement to govern its staff, NYT reported that Trump’s plan was not included.
