CNN
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President-elect Donald Trump’s team submitted an ethics plan to guide its members’ conduct during the transition period, but it did not appear to include provisions for one key member of the team: the president himself. .
“There appears to be no provision that addresses the requirement that the next president address conflicts of interest,” said Valerie Smith Boyd, director of the Center on Presidential Transitions at the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service.
CNN has asked Trump’s transition office for comment on why there is no provision to address Trump’s potential conflicts of interest.
During his first term, President Trump was repeatedly criticized by ethics groups for potential conflicts of interest involving his businesses and brands. Trump and his family’s overseas business ties have also been the subject of intense scrutiny throughout his presidency and campaign.
Still, after winning in 2016 and before entering the White House, Mr. Trump promised to relinquish control of his companies and place his business holdings in a trust, nominally meant to alleviate ethical concerns. Measures were taken. The trust was controlled by their two sons, Donald Trump Jr. And Eric Trump. At this time, we are not making any such guarantees.
Rather, Mr. Trump has recently added potential conflicts of interest to some of his recent business dealings. Much of his wealth these days is tied to his stake in Trump Media & Technology Group, a newly publicly traded company that owns his social media website, TruthSocial. During the campaign, he promoted several new products that leveraged his name and fame. That included a series of watches that retailed for $100,000 and were released through opaque licensing agreements with companies whose origins were not disclosed. CNN tracked the company to a shopping plaza in Sheridan, Wyoming, which is also the registered address for dozens of other businesses.
Trump and his sons launched a cryptocurrency venture weeks before the election, even as they promised to advance policies favorable to Bitcoin enthusiasts and investors. President Trump has not said how he will ensure that he does not pursue these policies, which could have a huge impact on financial markets and the future of the U.S. dollar, to benefit his family’s new ventures. do not have.
The ethics agreement, posted on the General Services Administration’s website late Tuesday, otherwise “appears to meet most of the requirements of the Presidential Transition Act,” Boyd said.
An amendment to the law requiring an ethics oath was introduced by President Trump’s ally, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and signed into law by President Trump in March 2020.
The plan requires transition team members to “avoid actual and apparent conflicts of interest,” “protect confidential information,” and “protect nonpublic information and other information not readily available to the public.” ”. Team members who have participated in lobbying activities in the past year or who are registered as lobbyists are also prohibited from acting as registered foreign agents during the transition period.
Each team member must sign a code of ethical conduct detailing these provisions.
Trump’s team missed two deadlines in September and October to sign an agreement between President Biden and the General Services Administration that lays the groundwork for a smooth transition of power. Democrats and watchdog groups have warned of potential risks to national security and continuity between administrations without such an agreement.
Three weeks after the election, the Trump team submitted an ethics plan and signed a White House agreement, but omitted the GSA agreement, saying in a statement that the transition would “operate as a self-sustaining organization” and adding that its “organizational autonomy” Sex means.” Streamlined process. ”
White House officials said President Trump’s team has also not yet signed an agreement with the Justice Department to begin processing the classified information needed for staff to access classified information during the transition period. “We have made progress toward an agreement,” he added.
President Trump’s transition did not immediately respond to a CNN inquiry about whether a deal would be finalized before Inauguration Day.
CNN previously reported that President Trump’s transition team is bypassing traditional FBI background checks on at least some Cabinet nominees and using private companies to vet candidates for administration positions. A close source reported. Trump and his allies believe the FBI’s systems are slow to respond and have challenges, and the president-elect says he wants to quickly begin work on implementing the policy, according to people briefed on the plan. He said he believes it could interfere with his plans. Critics argue that background checks can sometimes reveal embarrassing information that is used to cause political damage.
When Trump takes office on January 20, he will have the power to make his own changes to the security screening system, which is largely based on executive orders. For example, they may ask trusted individuals to judge information found in background checks and determine clearance status, rather than the traditional federal experts who have traditionally managed the process.
Still, Boyd said it was “hopeful” that progress was being made in the transition process.
“We all remain hopeful that an agreement will be signed, because if the Trump team had federally vetted background-checked talent in place from day one, it would reduce disruption. ” she said.
Trump’s team has refused to sign an agreement with the GSA that would have given it access to federal resources such as office space and secure communications equipment, also raising concerns.
Without the agreement, Mr. He said he is asking them to find ways to protect the information.
The White House on Tuesday night provided guidance to various agencies on “best practices to facilitate secure information sharing” with the Trump transition team as needed, according to a White House official.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian met Wednesday morning with the Council of Agency Transition Directors, made up of senior career leaders from agencies across the federal government and deputy chiefs of staff from departments, to discuss collaboration with the Trump administration. We discussed the next steps towards. Officials said it was a government agency’s landing team.
Boyd said the Trump transition team’s signing of the White House agreement was “a really important step.”
“Both parties should be commended for reaching an agreement to share information. The most concerning scenario would be if the president-elect’s team is not in touch with federal agencies. Now that communication is open, , we are well-positioned to share information about national security risks,” Boyd said.
