Do the right thing

The top ethics official in the U.S. has resigned because of Trump

Walter Shaub says the Trump administration is trampling on ethics rules.

Do the right thing

Do the right thing

The top ethics official in the U.S. has resigned because of Trump

Walter Shaub says the Trump administration is trampling on ethics rules.

The head of the Office of Government Ethics, the nation’s top government watchdog, resigned today after vocally criticizing the Trump administration.

Walter Shaub believes U.S. ethics regulations need to be strengthened, something he realized because of the obstacles he has run into while trying to rein in President Trump’s many conflicts of interests.

Trump has repeatedly visited his family properties while in office, transferred his assets to a trust run by his children instead of selling them, and refused to release his tax returns. These actions compromise the U.S.’s ability to enforce ethics rules at home and abroad, Shaub said.

Shaub, who was appointed by President Obama, wants to reinforce U.S. ethics rules and have Congress make it clear that the Office of Government Ethics has authority over the White House. He believes he can more effectively advocate for such changes from outside the federal government.

“I would not have picked this fight,” he told The New York Times. “But I have never been one to shy away from bullies.”