White House to share info on ethics waivers

The White House will reportedly cooperate with a request from a federal ethics agency to turn over information about which former lobbyists currently serve in the Trump administration.

Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), wrote a letter saying the Trump administration does not intend to hinder the efforts of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), Reuters reported Friday.

“OMB shares the belief that the executive branch must uphold the highest ethical standards in accordance with the law,” Mulvaney wrote, according to the outlet. “Our concern was, and is, protecting the process related to the data call.”

Walter Shaub, the director of OGE and an appointee of President Obama, had in April requested copies of waivers that President Trump’s administration had granted to former lobbyists appointed to government positions involved in issues they previously lobbied.

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The New York Times reported earlier this week that Mulvaney sent a letter to Shaub challenging his agency’s legal authority to solicit such information and requested a stay until the legal concerns were resolved.

“This data call appears to raise legal questions regarding the scope of OGE’s authorities,” read Mulvaney’s previous letter, which came as part of an escalating feud. “I therefore request that you stay the data call until these questions are resolved.”

Shaub fired back Wednesday, saying he had the authority to “institute corrective action proceedings” against people who “improperly prevent” ethics officials from their work.

“OGE declines your request to suspend its ethics inquiry and reiterates its expectation that agencies will fully comply with its directive by June 1, 2017,” Shaub wrote. “Public confidence in the integrity of government decision-making demands no less.”

Mulvaney on Friday said his office “has never sought to impede OGE,” adding that the stay request aimed to give more time in order to “ensure sufficient consideration was given to legal questions.”

Shaub is in the final year of a five-year term.

Tags Barack Obama Mick Mulvaney Walter Shaub

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