백악관 move to block the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) from collecting waivers granted by Trump Administration nominees to work in fields where they recently lobbied is an outrage and part of a disturbing pattern. OGE was created in the wake of the Watergate scandal to monitor ethics compliance, but the Trump Administration is denying it the ability to do so. The OGE is charged with ensuring government compliance with ethical standards and it must be allowed to perform that duty.

This is the latest example in a long line of troubling moves by the Trump Administration to conduct the business of government in secret. Just the ethical transgressions from members of this Administration that we know about to date are unprecedented. That pattern of behavior makes it even more vital that this Administration be transparent to We the People that President Trump was elected to serve. “Trust us” is not a sufficient answer from any White House, particularly the Trump White House.