Former White House ethics lawyer reacts to Hunter Biden pardon; December 2, 2024

Here & Now Newsroom, wbur; Former White House ethics lawyer reacts to Hunter Biden pardon

"President Biden announced on Sunday that he is pardoning his son Hunter Biden, saying, "I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this. I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice." Hunter Biden was convicted of federal gun charges in June and later pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd looks at the implications of the pardon with Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer under former President George W. Bush, and now a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School."

Trump stunned ethics experts with his surprising, 'excellent choice' to lead the government office that's been a huge thorn in his side; Business Insider, February 8, 2018

Allan Smith, Business Insider; Trump stunned ethics experts with his surprising, 'excellent choice' to lead the government office that's been a huge thorn in his side

"Ethics experts were over the moon with President Donald Trump's selection to lead the Office of Government Ethics, Emory Rounds.

That includes two high-profile ethicists who have been among the most prominent critics of Trump: Walter Shaub, the former head of OGE who resigned before completing his term, and Richard Painter, top ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush who has repeatedly clashed with the White House."

Ethics Report On Trump Administration: The Most Unethical Presidency; NPR, January 16, 2018

[Podcast] Morning Edition, NPR; 

Ethics Report On Trump Administration: The Most Unethical Presidency

"Steve Inskeep talks to Richard Painter, top ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, and Norman Eisen, top ethics lawyer for President Obama. They argue Trump's administration has been unethical."

Just when you thought the Trump ethics disaster couldn’t get worse, it did; Washington Post, 1/16/17

Richard Painter and Norman Eisen, Washington Post; Just when you thought the Trump ethics disaster couldn’t get worse, it did

"Richard Painter, a professor of law at the University of Minnesota, was the chief White House ethics lawyer from 2005 to 2007 and is vice chair of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Norman Eisen, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, was the chief White House ethics lawyer from 2009 to 2011 and is the chair of CREW...

Priebus also attacked Shaub’s competence, and so his livelihood, questioning “what this person at Government Ethics, what sort of standing he has any more in giving these opinions.” In fact, the director is a dedicated and talented ethicist who has served Democratic and Republican presidents alike with distinction and without controversy for many years. He has already approved 54 percent of the Trump nominees who have submitted their paperwork to OGE, compared with just 29 percent at this point in the Obama transition eight years ago. If the White House chief of staff had made these kinds of threats against the head of OGE when we were serving in the White House, we would have resigned immediately.

We think apologies are due Shaub. In addition, we recommend that Republicans back off of their threats. How about Chaffetz instead publicly affirm the need for the agency and invite Shaub to have a public conversation about that and about Trump’s conflicts with both the majority and minority members of the committee? We are sure that Shaub would accept such an offer and explain to the committee and the public why his concerns about the president-elect’s plan are well founded."

Trump Conflicts Could Violate The Constitution On Day 1, Lawyers Say; NPR, 12/23/16

Steve Inskeep, NPR; Trump Conflicts Could Violate The Constitution On Day 1, Lawyers Say:

"Donald Trump will enter the White House with more potential conflicts of interest than any recent president. Steve Inskeep talks to recent White House ethics lawyers Richard Painter and Norman Eisen."