8mo ago

Trump exempts himself from ethics pledge as watchdogs sound alarms

www.independent.co.uk

Summary

Donald Trump has exempted himself from key ethics guidelines required under the Presidential Transition Act, which he signed into law in 2020.

By rejecting federal funding for his transition team, Trump avoids donor limits and disclosure requirements, raising concerns about conflicts of interest and transparency.

Critics, including Senator Elizabeth Warren and government watchdogs, warn that Trump’s refusal to submit an ethics plan undermines accountability and could open the door to corruption.

This move marks a break from precedent and has sparked alarm over potential personal enrichment during his presidency.

186 comments

lol. Watchdogs. Hilarious. Let me know when we have a government again.
- Don't hold your breath.
  
  it usually takes 4-6 years or so for democrats to fix most of whatever republciants screw up.
  donvict part 1 will take a generation, at least.
  donvict part 2 will take a lot longer and require practically-impossible coordination and commitment to get non-republicants to the levels of representation needed for amendment ratifications and impeachments.
- “Hey! You’re not supposed to do that!”
  “Is there a specific law being broken?”
  “Well…no, not exactly. But it breaks with tradition!”
  
  It does seem a bit silly to focus on this, but you know how the news is. Let’s not forget about Obama in that tan suit sending republicans off the deep end.
  From a republican, about a tan suit:
  "There's no way, I don't think, any of us can excuse what the president did yesterday. I mean, you have the world watching"
  
  Even if there was a law being broken, time has shown that Trump is pretty much above the law at this point.
  
  "Dont enforce democratic norms with tradition" should be in the historical rulebook. Right next to not printing money to pay bills, not invading Russia in winter, and not touching Americas boats
- Maybe someone should pair the watchdogs with guard dogs to do the biting when the former bark
  
  If we allow the government to have control of either group, the guard dogs will just kill the watch dogs.
  Maybe the people should start biting.
- They're gonna be barking a whole lot more the next four years.
  
  I wonder if falling out of windows will be a common thing.
- Those poor dogs. Someone should call the SPCA and repo.... Defunded you say?
  
  Maybe a network of volunteers can foster care for some, a few have sweet temperaments ?
  I can volunteer some pet food
And what are they going to do about it? If breaking the oath bears no teeth, the oath is pointless.
I face more punishment breaking my Paladin oath in Baldurs Gate 3...
- Just like all checks and balances in government, it assumes the branches are somewhat independent and ethical, at least claim to serve their constituents, and protect their own power. It’s up to the legislative branch or the judicial branch
  
  One Final Check
  State Vs Federal.
  Grab your popcorns, because you wont be able to afford it in the future!
  
  Turns out the concept of "checks and balances" was always a stupid lie.
  
  If it's a law then he broke the law which means no other politician should be involved in the process as it's a matter for the police, he should be prevented from taking power by those who enforce the law, aka the police.
- Nullification Crisis v2.0: Blue States Boogaloo
- I still never finished act 2.. patches and mod updates sent me back to RTS and 4x. My last run was a dope oath breaking paladin
  
  I'm trying to keep my ancients oath but every dialogue option seems like a trap to make you lose it. I fucking lost it talking to a bird for fucks sake. I've lost so many hours of progress resetting because I don't want to pay 1000 gold, it's literally 1/10th that cost to change your class.
  I wish paladins had a morality slider instead, like KOTOR
I’d be happy that Trump voters finally got what they deserve, but unfortunately, the rest of us have to suffer the consequences alongside them. As well as the rest of the world.
- I don't know why, but most of the world voting their political parties into power is trending to the conservative right not towards the progressive left.
  
  Because things are getting more worrying on a global scale (economical slow down, ecological crisis and wars) and the usual human reflexes are conservatism and blaming the people who are different. I think progressive ideas rather spread in times of peace and prosperity, or after catastrophic events like WW2.
  
  “Most of the world” isn’t voting at all. And that is how the right wing gains power.
  
  The trend is technically voting out the establishment - trying something new out of desperation. Unfortunately, the extreme right is more than willing to pretend that they have a solution. Usually, it's to blame the other and promise to get rid of the other. You know, Nazi shit.
  
  Technology has enabled the centralization of power and wealth in an unprecedented way. Also Russian influence campaigns, for the same reason.
  
  You know that old saying, "every accusation is a confession"? When conservatives all over the world started getting hysterical about the WEF, I think what we all needed to be looking at was the IDU.
It's funny how Brazil (a country that's seen the consequences of authoritarianism) is handling their own attempted coup vs the U.S., we are basically welcoming Trump back after everything he's done.
After the coup attempt he should have been barred from office and arrested. This is such a ridiculous timeline.
- Societies get the leaders they deserve.
  
  I hate that sentiment and especially wording, but there is sadly truth behind it...
  
  I guess... he barely won the popular vote, and didn't pick up any significant amount of new voters. I wouldn't say the basically half of voters who voted against this deserve it.
Him not signing an ethics pledge is probably the most honest move he did in his lifetime.
Critics, including Senator Elizabeth Warren and government watchdogs, warn that Trump’s refusal to submit an ethics plan undermines accountability and could open the door to corruption.
Fucking could? It's kinda been proven that he is corrupt and this is the best the watchdogs can do? Where's their teeth?
- Not even kinda proven! It's 100 fucking percent proven he's corrupt. The man was found guilty of 34 felonies. He's been doing this shit literally for decades... Fucking pussies...
Alarm! Concern! Criticism! Hand-wringing!
- Furrowed brows!
- we are well past the point of hand-wringing. this calls for a strongly worded letter
- What are you doing about it?
  
  Lowly me? Preparing to !Resist@fedia.io
  
  The news outlets will SLAM him for this!
Those alarms already had the copper wire stolen from behind them.
Opens the door to corruption?
The door was burnt for firewood years ago.
- People are generally quite stupid, so they need to feel the effects that everyone knew was coming two decades ago. When you destroy education and let money control media and politics, you get America.
We have learned (and are still learning) that precedent doesn't mean shit
- It is spelled "president"
  (/a)
  
  It was.
  Now it's Fuhrer.
  
  Okay, I give up. What on earth is /a supposed to mean!? Some sources decode it as "alterous", but that doesn't help me either. Is this just a typo of /s?
- There once was a man from Jamaica, Who liked to sling pieces of paper. The tropical sun was a topical one, And the walri could see it much deeper.
  
  Can someone explain this to me
The more I see this unfold the more I understand why Trump won. (This is in no way me supporting Trump, the guy deserves the worst this world has to offer!)
Anyways, the establishment and dems are a bunch of toothless liars! If I was some poor chap doing my best to just stay alive in the US I likely also would've have lost hope in my vote mattering. Legally speaking, it quite literally doesn't. The dems regularly shitting on the primaries is a great example of this (and ofc the electoral collage).
Nobody in politics cares about the people. After the 2008 crash, both the reps and dems bailed out all the banks responsible for the mass fraud, while the people that suffered barely got shit.
The vast majority of people didn't vote and some voted Trump out of desperation, wanting any change at all. It's fucking sad.
- Trump is America's self-inflicted gunshot wound
  
  And even if it heals, the medical bills will wreck us.
  
  "And that's MXC's impact replay of the day!"
  Seriously, I want that on a bumper sticker.
- Warren is a good example of someone who does care and I can only recommend her books on the matter. She came from the same place as everyone else and managed to get where she has been for a good while now.
  If she'd been president 2016 or any time after that things would've looked a lot different, probably globally, I can almost guarantee as much.
  Edit: and by different I mean a lot fucking better, to be clear.
  
  You mean Bernie, not Warren. Plus Bernie was winning primaries and insanely more popular than Warren.
  
  Yeah, but she's not progressive enough for the leftists (plus they hate her for some perceived slight against Bernie), and too left for the moderates.
I mean the universe spent years letting us all know this guy was corrupt as fuck.
Americans voted for corruption.
We WANT corruption.
We'll be no better than Russia by the end of our lives. And it will have been no one else's fault but our own.
- Not mine, thanks
  
  same. I'm sick of being lumped in with the vocal minority. which they are. "Americans" as a majority do not want this.
The one thing we can absolutely be sure of is that this dispicable con-man will do all that he can to enrich himself, without regard for any limiting principle or structural restraint.
Its not a question of "if" he "may" be corrupt, but only how brazen the supposed patriots in the Republican party will let him be as he does it.
Maybe just maybe you guys should have laws that require this instead of ohbits always been done this way. What a riduclulse country.
- It is a law. Apparently it's just not enforced.
  
  The question isn’t who is going to let me, it’s who is going to stop me.
  
  It is a law. Trump signed it in his first term.
  Penalties include
  no transition funding
  no early read-ins to get up to speed
  Apparently they don’t care. Congress could probably do something but Senator Warren is shouting into a void
  Edit: if you don’t sign an ethics statement promising not to accept ~~bribes~~ donations from unethical sources presenting a strong appearance of conflict of interest, your penalty is you get to accept ~~bribes~~ them
- Are we having a stronk
  
  Call the Trumpulance?
"which he signed into law in 2020." You've got to be fucking kidding
Could open the door? The door was ripped from its hinges already.
This is the problem with trying to follow decorum against a fascist.
…could open the door to corruption.
“could”
ROFL!
"Open the door to corruption"? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
- Literally had the infamous crook Nixon got pardoned 🤦‍♂️
- Before they were using the back door. Now we're talking about the front door!
“Americans expect and deserve a president who prioritizes the nation’s well-being over personal gain,” she added.
Yeah!
“They will not tolerate a president who abuses the powers of his office to line his own pockets.”
Weeeellllllll....
- Im not so sure we deserve a decent leader atp
I’m not surprised, but I am exasperated.
Don't let any of them have access to briefings or classified materials. Period. Not cleared, you have no access. You fuckers will do whatever you want after in office, but right now the current administration should not fuck around. Fuck these assholes. Let them catch up later. Its not like it will cause any more damage to our country if they don't have access before then.
- Isn't the President granted super-whatever clearance, through? I can just imagine Donny calling for some ridiculously secret files and just whipping out his phone to snap some pics of them "for a friend". At this point, I'm not convinced anyone would actually stop him!
The most blatant act of "rules for thee, but not for me." My brother in Christ, you wrote the act.
- "i didn't read that. it don't count." -djt, probably.
I appreciate the rare honesty, I guess. Not like it would change anything if he did it.
How is this allowed under an act of congress? Oh right, lack of accountability and oversight.
- there was only going to be 'accountability' if democrats didn't follow it.
  
  And they shouldnt anymore. Clearly the voters do not want good people
In how many ways do we need to signal to Trump that he can do whatever he wants, without repercussion?
We're so fucking useless.
Raise alarms? Could open the door to corruption? Undermine accountability?
Where the Hell have these people been? And anybody who is shocked by these headlines needs to come out from under their rock. None of this is new or news. It’s SOP.
As for accountability and watchdogs? Can you be any more lip service? What is anybody going to do? Ever? They had four years to make Trump and team accountable. Hasn’t exactly worked out.
Wake me when September (2028) ends.
So he chose not to lie this once. Doesn't excuse a lifetime of it
Now he did it. IT'S DONE. WE GOT EM. Donald will finally feel the FULL FORCE of our justice system telling him that they are VERY CONCERNED.
Mark your calendars everyone, we have a new holiday.
- 😂
And Joe pardoned Hunter for whatever they "find" next on that laptop, so, y'know, both sides.
/s
- I think we here all know why Biden had to pardon his son: because Trump and the republican cabal would sooner crucify him to fire up the rubes, than address any needful issues this country has. As far as conservatives are concerned, Biden’s son IS Biden, and they would deal out “pay back” for Trump’s felony convictions. It’s conservative tribalism.
  But as far as conservatives will figure, it’s just “both sides” at best and “corrupt joe” at worst.
  
  I choose to enjoy it as a last fuck you to the red hats
- Exactly. This is why I could not give a single fuck about Biden pardoning his son.
- Well, that also gets Joe off the "10% for the big guy" invesigation that may have been chasing him after office.
To the people who will wake up tomorrow pretending this is going to be buisness as usual. Fuck you. That's all.
does not matter. americans have a shit education and therrfor are now dumbed down to enjoy a life in idiocracy. and just like last time i am sure hundreds of thousands of the dumbest will die. covid happend when wuhan lover donald was in office and tbis time it is going to be similar. dumb people are a magnet to problems. and the "voter" will love it! some wrestling guy will show them how to treat mpox with cooked rawmilk...it just needs to be a really stupid idea that triggers others. like nobody cares about "the wall" anymore,right? will the fat fuck finish his wall? nope! because retardism is their new religion. i am expecting hulk hogan or kid rock to be in a key position for womensrights, education or something as far out of their mental range as that.
Thank goodness for the watchdogs! I’m so glad they’re here. What would we do without them?!?!?
_____
Can things stop. I just... Want things to stop now.
- Nothing will meaningfully improve until the rich fear for their lives
My brother in Christ you signed the law
- Yeah, but it applied to other people, not ~~God~~ Trump.
Stop with the precedent. Decorum and tradition means nothing and only Dems keep falling for it and setting themselves arbitrary barriers.
Toothless watchdogs is more like it
Why am I not in the least bit surprised.
Trump is like "lol, I can't spell that".
I really hope the segment of poor people that voted for him suffer greatly under his regime. They need to learn a hard kind of lesson they seem to be unwilling to learn any other way.
- Did you just become one of the “hurting the right people” crowd?
  Ot doesn’t work on them anyway. They just blame someone else.
- I don't think you understand the psyche of people voting for him, even if Trump personally came to their house and stomped on their balls they would vote for him.
  It won't make any difference to their future votes if they suffer, it'll just be suffering.
  I still don't really know a good way to pry people away from his cult of personality or convince them of the truth but suffering for the sake of itself is not good.
- No one is immune from propaganda.
- They already are... Look at the states and counties that vote red. Leaders in education and life expectancy they are not. Great in poverty with a dearth of opportunity they are. Over the decades these places have been ravaged by big business. Then business moved overseas and opiates moved in.
  What do these people do? In a flash of absolute genius they vote in the guy whose administration is filled with tech bros. The problem is the tech bros all think these people are trash and are happy to see them occupied by video games and drugs.
  So clearly the immigrants working for low pay are the reason the economy is fucked. The solution must be the administration whose only legislative accomplishment was a massive tax cut for the wealthy and corporations. Because the economy can't possibly be fucked because as a society we've given to the top 1% all of the gains in productivity since the 1980s.
- This is not it. What an abhorrent and sadistic take.
  Here's a handy tip for the future: if you find yourself writing a sentence that goes "I really hope [...] poor people [...] suffer greatly", maybe reconsider posting it.
  
  The [...] Is doing some heavy lifting.
  That's like saying that "I hope the black people that killed my parents suffer greatly" shouldn't be said. You can't just " I hope [...] black people [...] suffer greatly" it.
Shit now there's nothing stopping him from doing immoral undemocratic stuff like pardoning his children.
- Lol, trump would do way worse than pardon his kid that was targeted by the doj for something that hardly gets charged in the first place. Trump incites violence, disregards the constitution, is a sexual predator (probably a pedophile) and the list goes on.
  
  Rules for thee but not for me, got it.
- You're right. What could Trump possibly do that would even come remotely close to equaling Joe Biden doing such a totally outrageous and unacceptable legal thing?
- Oh you poor thing…
- What about pardoning war criminals?
- Tell me of all the people Don pardoned.
  
  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_granted_executive_clemency_by_Donald_Trump
  Relatively few compared to his predecessors. Some real assholes on that list. It amazes me how Roger Stone isn't under the Jail.
  Lil Wayne is on that list btw.
  We will get to see is how they twist the presidential pardon this coming year.
  Afaik a presidential pardon is strictly federal.
  State cases and Civil cases are not covered.
  I'm sure the supreme Court will Fix that.
  
  ?

186 comments