Washington Post: Who pays for the White House to lawyer up?

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President Trump has hired a cadre of lawyers to grapple with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation into Russian election interference. Now, White House staffers are beginning to do the same. But who will pay the legal bills of those without the president’s deep pockets?

As the investigation apparently gathers steam, so does a debate over an Office of Government Ethics rule prohibiting anonymous donations to legal defense funds of government employees. While no such defense fund has yet been set up for the president’s aides, its creation would help staffers shoulder the costs of the high-quality legal representation needed to weather questioning by Mr. Mueller’s team. And the recent confusion over OGE rules shows that it’s time for the office to make clear its position on requiring donor disclosures.

In 1993, the OGE released an opinion blessing anonymous contributions to legal defense funds. While the office swiftly backpedaled, the written guidance was never changed. So then-OGE Director Walter M. Shaub Jr. issued an advisory note to the opinion in May, warning that aspects of the guidance’s reasoning “are not consistent with current OGE interpretation and practice.” At some point since Mr. Shaub’s departure from government in July, the notice changed to state that the 1993 guidance remains partially in force, though it also advises government officials to consult with the OGE before counseling employees.

According to Mr. Shaub, the revised note opens the door for the use of anonymous contributions. The OGE, on the other hand, says that the office’s policy hasn’t changed and that it is still counseling against such contributions. While there’s no reason to doubt the OGE, it’s also true that the text of the new advisory is vague and could be read permissively.

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