To: Rep. John Curtis (UT-3) and The United States House of Representatives
Stop Intimidation of Ethics Director Holding Trump Accountable
Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Director Walter Shaub called Trump's conflict of interest plan "meaningless" and asked that his cabinet nominees complete an ethics review before their nomination hearings. Now Shaub is being intimidated by Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, and funding to OGE may be threatened.
Ethics have no party. Chairman Chaffetz, stop the intimidation. If you want to question Director Shaub, do it in a public hearing so Americans can hear his concerns about Trump's conflict-of-interest plan, not in a closed-door interrogation. Don't gut OGE's funding when it comes up for reauthorization this year. Let Director Shaub do his job for the American people. Listen to the bipartisan call to stop the intimidation. https://s3.amazonaws.com/demandprogress/letters/Chaffetz_on_OGE_2017-01-13.pdf
Ethics have no party. Chairman Chaffetz, stop the intimidation. If you want to question Director Shaub, do it in a public hearing so Americans can hear his concerns about Trump's conflict-of-interest plan, not in a closed-door interrogation. Don't gut OGE's funding when it comes up for reauthorization this year. Let Director Shaub do his job for the American people. Listen to the bipartisan call to stop the intimidation. https://s3.amazonaws.com/demandprogress/letters/Chaffetz_on_OGE_2017-01-13.pdf
Why is this important?
The Office of Government Ethics is a nonpartisan ethics office that has served presidents for the last 4 decades to help ensure a high level of integrity in the president, cabinet members and all appointees. It should not be punished for doing its job for the American people.