Roll Call: Trump Critic Praises Trump Pick for Ethics Office
Walter Shaub Jr. has blasted the Trump White House for creating an “ethics crisis,” but the previous head of the Office of Government Ethics now is offering praise for the administration’s choice for his successor. The White House said Wednesday that President Donald Trump selected Emory A. Rounds III, an OGE lawyer since 2009, to run the office, which offers counsel to government officials about how to avoid potential conflicts of interest and violations of ethics statutes. Shaub said he was “excited” about the nomination. “Emory is a good and decent man who has devoted his life to public service. He believes in the government ethics program, and he will ably lead OGE,” said Shaub, now a senior director of ethics at the watchdog group Campaign Legal Center. “I’m sure the staff is relieved to learn the nominee is someone steeped in knowledge of — and concern for — the ethics program, rather than a political appointee with a partisan agenda. I hope the Senate confirms Emory quickly. He’s a great pick for this position.”
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Shaub made no secret of his concerns about the president, some of his Cabinet members and other top aides’ lackluster-appearing approach to federal ethics laws. He left the office in July, before his term ended, and promptly called on Congress to shore up the nation’s ethics laws. “Some challenges will be insurmountable, such as persuading the president to divest his conflicting financial interests or getting the White House to be more transparent about the ethics problems of its immediate staff,” Shaub said on Thursday. “However, Emory is the right person to hold OGE together and preserve as much of the ethics program as possible. As a nominee to be director, I think he represents a degree of stability in a sea of chaos.”