Email reveals Government Ethics director ordered tweets praising Trump

The director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics personally ordered tweets praising President-elect Donald Trump for claims he would leave his business to avoid conflicts of interest.

In emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by dozens of media organizations, agency director Walter M. Shaub asked for the tweets to be posted on the OGE’s official Twitter account, approving of the specific wording of each tweet.

{mosads}“Post the following tweets. I would like them posted first thing —8:30 if possible or as soon as possible thereafter . Post them all at once,” he wrote in an email including nine tweets mentioning the president-elect’s account.

After Trump tweeted that he would leave his “great business in total,” the agency, dedicated to providing leadership to help the president avoid conflicts of interest, sent out a series of tweets calling the move “Brilliant!” 

After the tweets, many initially speculated that the agency’s account had been hacked. A statement from the agency’s spokesman confirmed that the tweets were legitimate.

“Like everyone else, we were excited this morning to read the President-elect’s Twitter feed indicating that he wants to be free of conflicts of interest. OGE applauds that goal, which is consistent with an opinion OGE issued in 1983,” Seth Jaffe said.

“Divestiture resolves conflicts of interest in a way that transferring control does not. We don’t know the details of their plan, but we are willing and eager to help them with it.”

.@realDonaldTrump Brilliant! Divestiture is good for you, very good for America!

— U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump We can’t repeat enough how good this total divestiture will be

— U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump OGE applauds the “total” divestiture decision. Bravo!

— U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016

.@realDonalTrump As we discussed with your counsel, divestiture is the way to resolve these conflicts.

— U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump OGE is delighted that you’ve decided to divest your businesses. Right decision!

— U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump Bravo! Only way to resolve these conflicts of interest is to divest . Good call!

— U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump this aligns with OGE opinion that POTUS should act as if 18 USC 208 applies. https://t.co/T6nNUPxFwp

— U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump this divestiture does what handing over control could never have done.

— U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016