Office of Government Ethics: Review Process Should Not Be Rushed

Office of Government Ethics director Walter Shaub sent a letter to Senators Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren, dated January 6. In it he explained his concerns that the confirmation process for potential Trump cabinet picks should not move forward until ethics paperwork, including certification of financial disclosures, has been completed. He stated that the process is complex and labor-intensive, and should not be rushed. The Senate should, following established protocol, consider all potential conflicts of interest during the confirmation process.

The letter, dated January 6 and released January 7, can be read in its entirety on the National Public Radio (NPR) website, along with an article by reporter Jessica Taylor. The article contains a schedule of confirmation hearings planned for this week.

Since many of the potential cabinet picks are wealthy business people, the process could strain personnel at the Office of Government Ethics.

Senator Mitch McConnell has stated that Democrats pushing for ethics paperwork to be complete before the hearings begin are just “frustrated that they lost the election.”
McConnell told CBS on the television program Face the Nation: “All of these little procedural complaints are related to their frustration at having not only lost the White House but having lost the Senate. I understand that but we need to sort of grow up here and get past that.”

McConnell went on to say that he expected to have 7 of Trump’s cabinet potential nominees (they are not formally nominees until the Inauguration) confirmed the same day he is inaugurated. He stated that this was what the Senate did for President Obama’s nominees in 2009. (They had all completed the required Office of Government Ethics paperwork.)

Some of Trump’s Cabinet picks – notably Rex Tillerson, ExxonMobil CEO, have such vast financial and business holdings that review will take additional time. Democratic Senators, including Schumer and Warren, are calling for more disclosure, including tax returns.

The Trump transition team released a statement yesterday (source, Tamara Keith, NPR News):
"President-elect Trump is putting together the most qualified administration in history and the transition process is currently running smoothly. In the midst of a historic election where Americans voted to drain the swamp, it is disappointing some have chosen to politicize the process in order to distract from important issues facing our country. This is a disservice to the country and is exactly why voters chose Donald J. Trump as their next president."

In 2009, Senator McConnell sent a letter to then-Majority Leader Harry Reid, giving him a list of conditions for Senate confirmation hearings to begin. Among the necessary conditions were FBI background checks and all financial disclosures. he does not appear to be holdinghe current potential nominees to the same standard.

Senator McConnell’s telephone phone number in the Senate is 202-224-2541.
The telephone numbers of the 115th Congress, which was sworn in last week, can be found here. https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/

The NPR article can be found here. http://www.npr.org/2017/01/07/508699137/ethics-office-warns-confirmations-for-trump-nominees-are-moving-too-fast

The Face the nation interview with Senator McConnell can be found here.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mitch-mcconnell-tells-democrats-hoping-to-delay-cabinet-confirmations-to-grow-up/

The letter from Elaine Chao, Cabinet pick for Transportation Secretary (and wife of Senator McConnell), to the Department of Transportation, containing ethics disclosures, can be found here.  https://extapps2.oge.gov/201/Presiden.nsf/PAS+Index/44DD474D008145C1852580A2002C8051/$FILE/Chao,%20Elaine%20L.%20%20finalEA.pdf

The Office of Government Ethics website can be found here. https://www.oge.gov/

McConnell's letter to Senator Harry Reid can be found below.