Trump business dealings raise 'serious concerns,' ethics office says

Source: The Washington Post




By Jonathan O'Connell
June 23 at 7:00 AM

The government’s top ethics official said some of President Trump’s business dealings “raise serious concerns” but that the office lacks the authority to launch an investigation requested last month by congressional Democrats.

More than 60 Democrats, led by Rep. David N. Cicilline of Rhode Island, had written to the Office of Government Ethics in May asking that the agency investigate reported Chinese government support of an Indonesian real estate development that will include several Trump-brand properties.

David J. Apol, acting director and general counsel at the ethics office, responded this week that he thought concern was warranted. But because the president is not bound by the same conflict-of-interest laws as most federal employees, he said Congress — and ultimately voters — are responsible for holding the president in check.

“Under the Constitution, the primary authority to oversee the President’s ethics rests with Congress and ultimately, with the American people,” Apol wrote in his Monday response.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-business-dealings-raises-serious-concerns-ethics-office-says/2018/06/22/b71de20a-7642-11e8-9780-b1dd6a09b549_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e90585bbbc00