In a slew of executive orders signed on Monday, President Trump rescinded an executive order signed by former President Joe Biden that set ethics and lobbying rules for appointees.
Biden era presidential order It banned gifts from lobbyists and expanded the “cooling-off” period required for appointees leaving the federal civil service to join lobbying firms. The order also implemented a one-year ban on “shadow lobbying,” which is common in Washington. This means that former officials do not lobby themselves, but instead advise the government officials they are lobbying.
“This is a huge deal,” said Craig Holman, a lobbyist for the progressive watchdog group Public Citizen, who focuses on ethics, lobbying and campaign finance issues. “It really is a dramatic rollback of the ethical requirements for people in the Trump administration.”
There are some guardrails for officials looking to profit from their government experience, but include A one-year ban on lobbying for certain high-level officials and foreign lobbying, and a two-year ban on lobbying for very high-ranking officials, such as the vice president. Former President Obama issued it himself. ethics executive order Shortly after I took office in 2009, I laid the groundwork.
Trump, who appointed or nominated five former lobbyists to his Cabinet, made his views known during his first term. total restrictions About the appointee.
President Trump's ethics orders include a ban on gifts to lobbyists, a five-year ban on lobbying his former firm, and a lifetime ban on foreign lobbying that requires registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). was included. But Holman said it lacked the teeth to enforce it.
“It was like an empty gesture to the voters that he was doing something to drain the swamp. But then he had no one to enforce it, and no one would enforce it.” I didn’t,” Holman said.
On the last day of Trump's first term, canceled In compliance with ethical requirements, current and former employees were relieved of their duties effective January 20, 2021.
A White House spokesperson did not respond to questions from The Hill about Biden's decision to rescind the executive order or whether President Trump plans to issue a new ethics order.
Donald Sherman, Executive Director and Chief Counsel, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) sued Trump in 2017 He said it was “not surprising” that President Trump decided to rescind the Biden-era ethics order, saying it violated the Constitution's Emoluments Clause.
“I have a hard time seeing how President Trump's weakening of ethical obligations for his staff would benefit ordinary Americans who are concerned about food prices and public safety, but he It's no wonder the president during his first term accepted payments from corporate lobbyists,” and foreign officials at his hotels were told the administration would accept gifts from special interests seeking to gain influence. We will reverse measures to prevent it,” Sherman said.