Ethical scandals filled D.C's "swamp" in 2018: NPR

This year has been dark for ethics in Washington. Even without repeating the wave of sexual harassment in Congress in 2017 and without the results of the Mueller case investigation, DC's "swamp" remains as stagnant as ever.

It was a year when President Trump chased three of his own cabinet officials for ethical issues: Secretary David Shulkin of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Secretary Ryan Zinke of the Interior and administrator Scott Pruitt of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Shulkin first experienced problems during the winter. Legislators have reproached him for being on vacation, on the government tab, between two important conferences. He apologized by stating to a committee of the House: "I acknowledge that the optics are not good, I accept responsibility for that."

Colorado GOP representative, Mike Coffman, retorted, "It's not the optics that are not good, it's the facts that are not good."

Besides the trip problem, another factor was at stake here. Shulkin had resisted while the administration was pushing to privatize some services for veterans. After his dismissal, he told NPR that political opponents in the White House had prevented him from defending himself in the travel scandal.

Trump's bid to succeed Shulkin was an unlikely choice: the president's personal physician, Navy Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson.

He retired when senators began to question his professional behavior, including accusing him of having supervised a hostile work environment and alleged crimes. Finally, Trump himself opened the door to Jackson, reproaching him for his work. He told reporters, "Mr. Jackson, Dr. Jackson is a wonderful man, I told him, why do you need it?" Among the problems: flying in first class against federal regulations; using his 24-hour security details – an unusual arrangement for Cabinet members – to run errands or cross the city with sirens and lights; build a soundproof kiosk in his office at a cost of $ 43,000; and even try to buy a used mattress at the Trump Hotel near the White House.

Pruitt, in an interview with Ed Henry of Fox News, stated that he was attacked because he was so effective. With the changes he made to the EPA, he said, "Worldviews are opposed, people do not like that, especially the left of the environment." These groups had their reign in this world. office and this agency before we get in. That cleans up the swamp. " [19659008] After Pruitt left, the Cabinet member who had been the subject of the most intense investigation was Zinke. The charges against him related to the use of a federally chartered aircraft for unofficial trips and potential conflicts of interest in a land agreement. between a foundation created by Zinke and a development project involving the president of the oil services company Halliburton.

Zinke's last mistake could have arrived at the end of November. Arizona Democrat Raúl Grijalva wrote that Zinke should resign immediately, and Zinke tweeted about Grijalva: "It's hard for him to think right from the bottom of the bottle," without explanation.

Zinke sent the tweet on November 30th. Trump announced the resignation of Zinke on December 15th. Grijalva is expected to become chairman of the House's Natural Resources Committee, which oversees the Interior Department in January.

Law professor Kathleen Clark, who is studying ethics in government at Washington University in St. Louis, said the procession of problematic appointees, coupled with other ethical issues in the administration, resulted in a clear conclusion: "the administration is very clear and it is a disregard for ethical standards.

[ad_2]
Source link