Executive Ethics

It is troubling President Trump appears more comfortable talking to President Vladimir Putin behind closed doors than to the American people about the well-documented intrusion by Russia into US elections in 2016. The attack on our democracy by the Russian government appears to have been given short shrift during the meeting.

President Trump has paid little attention to federal ethics requirements since he took office and starting today – unfortunately - he’ll probably pay even less.

The resignation of Office of Government Ethics Director Walter Shaub is another troubling sign for the ethically-challenged Trump White House.

Today, Common Cause urged Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) to force House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes’ (R-CA) to fully recuse from the committee’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election after Nunes threatened to “take the investigation over.”

Today, Common Cause urged White House communications director Sean Spicer to return to established norms and allow cameras and live audio feeds at daily White House press briefings.

Congress moved last week to protect whistleblowers in the scandal-plagued Department of Veterans Affairs and to make it easier for officials to discipline or fire VA employees who neglect or mistreat patients.