Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet sent a letter to White House Counsel Donald McGahn to press the White House on its efforts to minimize conflicts of interest.
Shortly before taking office, President Trump outlined a plan to minimize conflicts between himself and The Trump Organization. According to a White Paper published by the President’s attorney detailing the plan, the President “will be completely sequestered from any information regarding the Organization’s decisions.” The White Paper also stated that the President’s sons and The Trump Organization’s CFO, Allen Weisselberg, “will have the authority to manage The Trump Organization and have full decision-making authority.”
Bennet wrote, “I believe the current ethics arrangement between the White House and The Trump Organization-even if fully enforced-is wholly inadequate and may undermine the effective functioning of our democratic institutions.” He nonetheless requested further clarity on how the Administration sought to implement its most problematic aspects.
Bennet asked several questions, including:
- “Has the Administration developed any policies that prohibit employees from The Trump Organization from communicating with either the President or members of his staff?”
- “How does the Administration ensure that the President ‘will not share nonpublic information with The Trump Organization,’ including his sons?”
- “What steps is your office taking to ensure that the President’s sons will not influence the Administration’s policymaking decisions in a manner that would benefit The Trump Organization?”
- “Does the White House intend to make visitor logs available online to the public in a timely manner to provide some transparency regarding meetings between the President and his staff and outside officials and organizations?”
Bennet sent the letter to White House Counsel on February 15, 2017, and has yet to receive a response.
Click HERE to read the letter in its entirety.