New US ethics committee begins vetting Trump’s future officials By Reuters

By Heather Timmons and Gabriella Borter

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The top U.S. ethics official charged with preventing conflicts of interest for government employees is about to start in Washington, as President Donald Trump’s new Cabinet and other appointees publicize their financial assets and prepare for their new jobs.

“We are talking to the transition team and we are working with them,” David Huitema said recently when he sat down with Reuters for his first official interview since being sworn into office on December 16. Inauguration it will be Jan 20

Ethics experts say the head of the Office of Government Ethics, or OGE, remains in the spotlight during any presidential transition, but Huitema faces special challenges ahead of a second term. Trump, reviewing numerous business relationships for Trump, his family and advisers.

Experts pointed to the short, rocky tenure of Walter Shaub, the last person to hold the job when Trump entered the White House, and noted that several recent Trump nominees have shown to despise the organizations they will run.

After nine years as director of ethics at the US State Department, Huitema will lead OGE’s routine work to help vet new Senate vetted candidates and thousands of other political appointees for potential financial and personal conflicts.

If he does his job well, there’s a good chance Huitema could be fired immediately, Shaub warned in an open letter last month. Huitema told Reuters that he has faith in the plans of many people to enter the government.

He shared his thoughts on ethics education and maintaining public trust, but refused to answer specific questions about the future administration. The ethics office deals only with potential government employees, he noted. That means it won’t vet outside advisers like billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tapped to encourage cuts in federal spending.

Q: What does OGE do, exactly?

A: “The main goal is to ensure that government employees make decisions based on the national interest and administrative policies rather than personal and especially financial interests. … OGE itself is a small agency of about 75 employees, but we work with a team of about 4,000 ethics officers, who deal directly with government employees.”

He said, another important immediate task will be “with the financial declaration of the candidate, to help ensure that the people nominated for the confirmed positions of the Senate meet their requirements for full disclosure of interests their finances and arrangements.”

Q. How does the financial disclosure process work with presidential candidates? A: Typically, he said, candidates for high office fill out reports in advance to help the office “identify potential conflicts or steps the candidate may have to take if confirmed so that all information is available.” to the Senate and to the authorities, know what they are getting themselves into.”

Q. What kind of times are there? When must people make these disclosures? A. He said the nominees should report “within five days of being elected. … Our goal is to help these incoming officials, to help the Senate and to do that as efficiently as possible.”

He noted that “any member of the public can request a copy” of any financial disclosure report filed with the OGE. “The concept of community, too, can help play a role in monitoring conflicts of interest.”

Q. What is the enforcement process if there is a conflict of interest? A: “It is not so much if the conflict appears in the form itself, but how in the end any federal employees deal with the work that will conflict with their financial interests.

“Conflict of legal interest is a criminal law, so the last resort is prosecution by the Department of Justice. Our job is to really help advise employees to avoid that situation…

“We will work with ethics officials if we learn of a potential conflict of interest issue to make sure that is resolved, ultimately working with the Department of Justice if necessary.”

Q: As head of the Ethics Department, what lessons have you learned?

A: “Most officials, both staff and elected, want to follow the law and want to work with integrity and appreciate the help of ethics officers…”Q: In your Congressional testimony, you said you think the OGE can help “fight against the growing cynicism and pessimism that can deceive our democratic government.” Can you explain? A. “We want to make sure that officials … do not act according to personal interests, especially financial interests and personal influences. …

“Actually, federal ethics may be weaker than people appreciate, so people’s perception that there is something wrong with federal ethics may be is it not well established.

Q. What are some examples of interests that are not big enough to raise red flags?

A. “Financial conflict of interest laws are … very valid depending on their size. You either have enough assets to create a conflict or you don’t.”

Q. Can ethics be taught? For people from the business side, interactions are often based on “How can I use this for my benefit or my company,” on purpose.

A. “I hope so because there are a lot of ethics training needs,” he said, laughing. He admitted that officers from the private sector are used to “networking and ‘What can you do to help someone so that they can also benefit’… It is a challenge to ensure that officers and employees young people understand that the expectations of the government are a little different…”

Q. What happens if the DOJ does not take ethics seriously? Where does that leave you?

A. “Criminal reporting is extreme, but there is enforcement at the institutional level in terms of discipline.”

Q. The president can grant a waiver to exempt someone from conflict of interest laws, right? Is this something that OGE would push back, or advise against?

A. “The president in some cases and heads of agencies or officials … can grant exemptions” but must consult with the OGE. He said that the release can be given when “the potential conflict of interest is not considered so important. Ultimately OGE needs to know when the release is released. They can be made public. ”