Federal Workers Given Secret Order as Trump Tears Down Part of the White House; The Daily Beast, October 21, 2025

Janna Brancolini , The Daily Beast; Federal Workers Given Secret Order as Trump Tears Down Part of the White House

"The Trump administration has ordered federal employees not to share photos of the East Wing of the White House being demolished to make way for the president’s $250 million vanity project. 

The Treasury Department’s headquarters, which are located next door to the East Wing, look out on the construction site for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom Donald Trump is building with private donor funds.

Treasury employees received an email Monday evening telling them not to document the demolition, the Wall Street Journal reported. 

“As construction proceeds on the White House grounds, employees should refrain from taking and sharing photographs of the grounds, to include the East Wing, without prior approval from the Office of Public Affairs,” a Treasury official wrote. 

Crews began tearing down the East Wing’s covered entrance on Monday, with dramatic video showing cranes and backhoes smashing up windows and ripping away the façade."

Government website blames shutdown on "radical left." Ethics group calls it a "blatant violation."; CBS News, October 1, 2025

Faris Tanyos, CBS News ; Government website blames shutdown on "radical left." Ethics group calls it a "blatant violation."

"Ahead of Wednesday's government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Tuesday posted a banner in large type on its homepage blaming the shutdown on the "Radical Left," an allegation that an ethics group said was a "blatant violation" of the Hatch Act. 

"The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands," the message read. "The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people."

A complaint filed Tuesday with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel by the nonprofit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen alleged that the banner on HUD's website was a "blatant violation" of the Hatch Act, describing it as "highly partisan" and seeking to "idolize the Trump administration … without attributing any blame for the lack of compromise causing the shutdown."   

The Hatch Act is a federal law passed in 1939 that "limits certain political activities of federal employees as well as some state, D.C., and local government employees who work in connection with federally funded programs," according to the Office of Special Counsel.  

Its purpose, among other things, is to "ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion," the office explains."

Judge’s reopening of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ raises ethical concerns; Prism, September 29, 2025

Alexandra Martinez, Prism; Judge’s reopening of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ raises ethical concerns

"A U.S. appeals court ruled on Sept. 4 to keep Florida’s controversial “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center operating while an appeal plays out, after a district court ruling to shut down the facility. The judge who authored the 2-1 majority opinion was 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Barbara Lagoa. 

Some immigrant rights advocates and local leaders argue that Lagoa’s role in overseeing the case, filed in part against Florida’s government, raises ethical concerns. Lagoa is married to attorney Paul Huck, a partner at Lawson Huck Gonzalez, one of Florida’s most politically connected conservative law firms. The firm is earning millions of dollars from contracts tied to the state’s other legal battles. The firm is not involved in the “Alligator Alcatraz” lawsuit."

Nevada Ethics Commission reaches agreement on F1 ticket case involving Clark County Commissioners; 8NewsNow, September 23, 2025

Julia Romero, 8NewsNow ; Nevada Ethics Commission reaches agreement on F1 ticket case involving Clark County Commissioners

"Ethics commissioners decided the Clark County Commissioners were there on ceremonial duties; however, they didn’t disclose the gift properly.

The stipulated agreement includes an admonishment of the Clark County Commissioners as well as the following requirements: Establishing an Ethics Officer for Clark County to oversee ethics education and compliance, and the County Commissioners further agree to work with Clark County to establish an event attendance policy to provide specific policies to different types of events."

Mayor of New Orleans Is Indicted on Corruption Charges; The New York Times, August 15, 2025

 Rick Rojas and Pooja Salhotra, The New York Times; Mayor of New Orleans Is Indicted on Corruption Charges

"Mayor LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans was charged on Friday with going to criminal lengths to carry out and cover up a romantic relationship with a city police officer who had been assigned to protect her, prosecutors said.

The indictment emerged from a lengthy federal investigation into corruption that has cast a shadow over Ms. Cantrell’s second and final term as mayor, which ends in January. She and her former bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, face a combined 18 felony counts, including making false statements, obstruction of justice and conspiracy."

Experts Raise Concerns Over Trump’s White House Ballroom Renovation Plans; The New York Times, August 3, 2025

 Ashley Ahn, The New York Times; Experts Raise Concerns Over Trump’s White House Ballroom Renovation Plans

"Experts on historic preservation are raising concerns over the feasibility of President Trump’s plans to complete large-scale renovations to the White House by the end of his term, and whether the project can be done while respecting the historic nature of the building.

Mr. Trump unveiled plans on Thursday to construct a $200 million, 90,000-square-foot state ballroom off the East Wing to be completed “long before” the end of his term in 2029. The project would be one of the largest renovations to the iconic building in decades...

The White House, the Supreme Court building, the Capitol and all their “related buildings and grounds” are exempt from the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, which requires federal agencies to assess and mitigate adverse effects to historic properties and seek consultation through a formal review process.

Instead, the White House has its own committee that provides advice on the “preservation and the interpretation of the museum character” of the building. The Committee for the Preservation of the White House — chaired by the director of the National Park Service — is made up of several federal officials and a number of members appointed by the president.

Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, said on Thursday in a news release that the administration was “fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserving the special history of the White House.”

Still, the committee’s recommendations are not binding, giving the president significant leeway to do as he wishes."

Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations; ProPublica, June 30, 2025

Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan and Alex Mierjeski , ProPublica; Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations

"There is nothing remarkable about a politician raising money for nonprofits and other groups that promote their campaigns or agendas. What’s unusual, experts said, is for a politician to keep some of the money for themselves.

“If donors to these nonprofits are not just holding the keys to an elected official’s political future but also literally providing them with their income, that’s new and disturbing,” said Daniel Weiner, a former Federal Election Commission attorney who now leads the Brennan Center’s work on campaign finance."

Trump Has Dropped the Pretense of Ethics; Mother Jones, May 23, 2025

Dan Friedman, Mother Jones; Trump Has Dropped the Pretense of Ethics

"Mother Jones reported yesterday on various ways that corporations, foreign governments, and random rich people with agendas are giving money and other benefits to the first family—and noted that the president and his kin have largely dispensed with even their first-term pretense of adherence to ethical norms."

Trump defies ethics warnings with private meme coin dinner; Axios, May 22, 2025

Brady Dale, Axios; Trump defies ethics warnings with private meme coin dinner

"The president hosted a highly anticipated "exclusive" dinner for the largest holders of his meme coin, Official Trump, at his golf club in Virginia on Thursday night.

Why it matters: Fight Fight Fight, LLC — a company linked to President Trump's family — sold a digital token that gave anyone in the world a chance to pay for a night of access to the commander-in-chief.

• The promotion has stunned ethics experts. One Democrat called it "the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the White House."
• 
  
• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied any conflicts of interest but refused to release the list of attendees, telling reporters: "The president is attending it in his personal time. It is not a White House dinner.""

A Plane From Qatar? C’mon, Man.; The New York Times, May 14, 2025

Norman Eisen, Virginia Canter, and Richard W. Painter

The writers were ethics counsels in the Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama White Houses., The New York Times; A Plane From Qatar? C’mon, Man.

"As lawyers responsible in recent White Houses for enforcing the rules against foreign government presents for presidents, we believe Donald Trump is transgressing them in the most brazen of ways. We’re not just talking about his apparent eagerness to accept an airplane valued at about $400 million from Qatar. His crypto entanglements are just as bad — perhaps even worse." 

Trump Is Poised to Accept a Luxury 747 From Qatar for Use as Air Force One; The New York Times, May 11, 2025

 Maggie HabermanEric Schmitt and Glenn Thrush, The New York Times; Trump Is Poised to Accept a Luxury 747 From Qatar for Use as Air Force One

"The Trump administration plans to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 plane as a donation from the Qatari royal family that will be upgraded to serve as Air Force One, which would make it one of the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the U.S. government, several American officials with knowledge of the matter said.

The plane would then be donated to President Trump’s presidential library when he leaves office, two senior officials said. Such a gift raises the possibility that Mr. Trump would have use of the plane even after his presidency ends.

While a Qatari official described the proposal as still under discussion and the White House said that gifts it accepted would be done in full compliance with the law, Democratic lawmakers and good government groups expressed outrage over the substantial ethical issues the plan presented. They cited the intersection of Mr. Trump’s official duties with his business interests in the Middle East, the immense value of the lavishly appointed plane and the assumption that Mr. Trump would have use of it after leaving office. Sold new, a commercial Boeing 747-8 costs in the range of $400 million."

Former Secretary of State Fagan Seeks to Settle With the Ethics Commission; Willamette Week, May 6, 2025

Sophie Peel , Willamette Week; Former Secretary of State Fagan Seeks to Settle With the Ethics Commission

"Former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, who resigned in May 2023 after WW revealed she’d signed a $10,000 monthly consulting contract with two of her top campaign donors, is seeking to settle twin cases with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission.

As first reported by the Salem Statesman-Journal, Fagan agreed last week to pay a $1,600 fine stemming from two incidents that resulted in complaints filed with the OGEC: her consulting agreement with the co-owners of cannabis chain La Mota, and her seeking state reimbursement for some expenses incurred on work-related trips with her children and dog that the commission deemed had “provided a financial benefit to herself.”

The commission concluded, according to its proposed settlement order, that Fagan had violated state ethics laws by “using her position to obtain private employment” with Aaron Mitchell and Rosa Cazares, the principals of the troubled cannabis outfit La Mota and the principals of the LLC with which Fagan signed the contract, Veriede Holding."

Trump dinner for meme coin buyers prompts senators to demand ethics probe; CNBC, April 25, 2025

 MacKenzie Sigalos, Ari Levy, CNBC; Trump dinner for meme coin buyers prompts senators to demand ethics probe

"Senators Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren are warning that President Donald Trump’s private dinner with holders of his meme coin may constitute “pay to play” corruption, and are calling for an ethics investigation.

The Democratic senators, from California and Massachusetts, respectively, sent a letter on Friday to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, asking for a probe to determine if President Trump violated federal ethics rules by offering exclusive access to top investors in his $TRUMP coin.

The letter pertains to a promotion, announced on the meme coin’s website on Wednesday, offering the top 220 holders of the token dinner with the president on May 22 at his golf club near Washington, D.C. The coin jumped by 50% in value after the invitation was posted."

Justice Barrett has set a new judicial ethics standard — and it’s about time; The Hill, April 8, 2025

 CAROLINE CICCONE, The Hill; Justice Barrett has set a new judicial ethics standard — and it’s about time

"Unlike every other federal court, the Supreme Court operates without mandatory ethics rules. The justices alone decide if their conflicts merit recusal, with no obligation to explain their reasoning. This self-policing system creates an accountability void that would be unacceptable in any other branch of government.

However, a recent decision by a member of the court’s conservative supermajority shows us that it doesn’t have to be this way.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett bucked this trend with her recent recusal from Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond. Although Barrett provided no public explanation, it’s plausible if not likely that her decision stemmed from her close ties to Notre Dame’s Religious Liberty Clinic and personal friendship with one of the case’s legal adviser, Notre Dame law Professor and Federalist Society Director Nicole Stelle Garnett. 

This choice reflects the longstanding principle, mostly abandoned by the Roberts Supreme Court, that judges should step aside when personal relationships might bias them, or even create the appearance of impropriety."

Elon Musk hands out $1 million payments after Wisconsin Supreme Court declines request to stop him; AP, March 30, 2025

SCOTT BAUER AND THOMAS BEAUMONT , AP; Elon Musk hands out $1 million payments after Wisconsin Supreme Court declines request to stop him

"Elon Musk gave out $1 million checks on Sunday to two Wisconsin voters, declaring them spokespeople for his political group, ahead of a Wisconsin Supreme Court election that the tech billionaire cast as critical to President Donald Trump’s agenda and “the future of civilization.”"

Legal experts say Trump official broke law by saying ‘Buy Tesla’ stock but don’t expect a crackdown; AP, March 21, 2025

BERNARD CONDON , AP; Legal experts say Trump official broke law by saying ‘Buy Tesla’ stock but don’t expect a crackdown

"A week after President Donald Trump turned the White House lawn into a Tesla infomercial for Elon Musk’s cars, a second sales pitch by a U.S. official occurred, this time for Tesla stock.

“It will never be this cheap,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Wednesday. “Buy Tesla.”

Government ethics experts say Lutnick broke a 1989 law prohibiting federal employees from using “public office for private gain,” later detailed to include a ban on ”endorsements.” Although presidents are generally exempt from government ethics rules, most federal employees are not and are often punished for violations, including rebukes like the one Conway got.

As of Friday, no public action had been taken against Lutnick and it was unclear whether he would suffer a similar fate.

“They’re not even thinking of ethics,” said Trump critic and former Republican White House ethics czar Richard Painter of administration officials."

Trump's White House Tesla showcase for Musk raises ethics concerns; ABC News, March 12, 2025

 Ivan Pereira, ABC News; Trump's White House Tesla showcase for Musk raises ethics concerns

"President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s controversial showcase of Tesla cars in front of the White House has set off alarms around Washington over what some see as an infomercial for the billionaire’s car company on high-profile government property.

Ethics experts ABC News spoke with are raising concerns that the Tuesday event could blur or even cross the lines of what's considered proper conduct by elected officials."

Watchdog Flags Sheldon Whitehouse for Potential Ethics Violation in Backing Bill That Enriched Wife’s Employer; National Review, February 25, 2025

JAMES LYNCH, National Review; Watchdog Flags Sheldon Whitehouse for Potential Ethics Violation in Backing Bill That Enriched Wife’s Employer

"A watchdog organization is calling for an ethics investigation into Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D., R.I.) for supporting legislation that resulted in nearly $7 million being paid to a firm his wife works for.

The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust filed an ethics complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee Monday requesting an investigation into Whitehouse’s votes on legislation that led to $6.9 million in grants to Ocean Conservancy, an environmentalist group his wife Sandra works for.

“Senator Whitehouse advocated and voted for legislation that led to $6.9 million of taxpayer funds being paid to an organization that his wife works for and receives an income from,” said FACT executive director Kendra Arnold.

“It is this type of circular relationship between a Senator and an organization that lobbies and pays his wife a salary that the public is rightfully fed up with. Congressional rules are in place to ensure our taxpayer dollars are going to serve our nation and that our Senators are not behaving in a manner that would call this into question.”...

Senate ethics rules prohibit a lawmaker from using official actions of obtain financial benefits for themselves or their spouse. They also advise Senators to avoid the appearance of impropriety or conduct that reflects unfavorably on the institution.

Ocean Conservancy has paid Sandra Whitehouse $2.6 million directly or through her consulting firm since 2010, tax records show. The firm has denied that Sandra Whitehouse received compensation from the federal funding her husband voted for."

Trump family rakes in profits as President Trump fires ethics watchdog; WBUR, February 25, 2025

 WBUR; Trump family rakes in profits as President Trump fires ethics watchdog

"The Trump family has made nearly $80 million since the election, and that's not counting the crypto assets they've been pushing. The Trump Organization, now overseen by the president's son Eric Trump, has not barred itself from pursuing deals with foreign companies, as it did during Trump’s first term. President Trump also fired the head of the Office of Government Ethics.

Wall Street Journal reporter Rebecca Ballhaus joins us to discuss the Trump family's growing fortunes.

This segment aired on February 25, 2025."

Trump’s firing of independent watchdogs raises concerns about government fraud and ethics; PBS News, January 27, 2025

Laura Barrón-López , Shrai Popat, PBS News; Trump’s firing of independent watchdogs raises concerns about government fraud and ethics

"In another sweeping move of his second term, President Trump fired more than a dozen inspectors general, the non-partisan watchdogs appointed to protect against abuses of power, waste and mismanagement across federal agencies. White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López discussed the impact with Glenn Fine, former inspector general for the Department of Justice."