The group Common Cause has filed an ethics complaint against Donald Trump that accuses the president of misusing and abusing taxpayer dollars to promote his private Florida club.
“The State Department article promoting Mar-a-Lago constitutes a misuse and abuse of taxpayer dollars that clearly warrants an investigation. This Administration’s refusal to set clear boundaries between the business of the American people and the businesses of Donald Trump has metastasized into the federal agencies,†said Karen Hobert Flynn, president of Common Cause. “Not only has the president turned his so-called ‘Winter White House’ into a set for a reality TV show with an audience made up of those willing to pay $200,000 to the Trump Organization, he has set an example himself untethered from ethical standards, beginning with his refusal to release his taxes as every U.S. President has done for the past four decades. It falls to the ethics offices of these agencies to enforce our ethics laws and standards, even if it means running afoul of the White House.â€
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What the Trump administration did by using government resources to promote the president’s for profit private club was clearly illegal. It also highlights the maze of conflicts of interests that have followed Donald Trump into the White House, and how this president is using his position for personal enrichment and financial gain.
Illegal behavior is the new normal at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, which is why people must be willing to stand up, speak out, file complaints, and hold this administration accountable. The only way Donald Trump will be stopped from exploiting the presidency is if millions of concerned Americans speak with one voice and yell a loud collective no that will shake the nation to its core.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
