Priebus to ethics chief: ‘Be careful’

Donald Trump’s incoming White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, on Sunday issued a warning to the director of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE).

“The head of the government ethics ought to be careful, because that person is becoming extremely political,” Priebus said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“Apparently, may have made a — publicly supported Hillary Clinton as calling out troops with info on Twitter about our — disentangling of the business over a month ago,” he continued.

“So I’m not so sure what this person at Government Ethics, what sort of standing he has anymore in giving these opinions.”

The head of the OGE last week blasted President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to separate himself from his business, calling it “wholly inadequate” in resolving potential conflicts of interest.

{mosads}“The plan the president-elect has announced doesn’t meet the standards that the best of his nominees are meeting and that every president in the last four decades have met,” OGE Director Walter Shaub said during a speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington. 

“Stepping back from running his business is meaningless from a conflict of interest perspective,” he said.

He said the only way for the president-elect to avoid conflicts between his business empire and the presidency is to sell his assets and place them in a blind trust.

Trump announced last week during a press conference that he is handing over control of his business empire to his two adult sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and placing his assets into a trust.

But he will not be selling his company or real estate holdings.

The agreement also does not constitute a “blind” trust, over which neither Trump nor his family members would have control.