Trump fires government ethics director, pardons former governor

(CLO) President Donald Trump will remove the head of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), the agency said on Monday. In addition, Mr. Trump also pardoned the former governor of Illinois - who is serving a corruption sentence.

OGE Director David Huitema was nominated by President Joe Biden and only took office last December. OGE directors typically serve five-year terms.

On Monday, a statement on the agency's website read: “OGE has been notified that the President will remove David Huitema from his position as OGE Director.”

David Huitema, Director of the US Office of Government Ethics. Photo: GI

Huitema, 53, said it was “disappointing” that his job ended so quickly and “without any explanation or notice.” He previously served as the State Department’s ethics officer and said he had worked for the federal government for 19 years.

As the government's chief ethics officer, Huitema and his team reviewed financial disclosures from senior nominees and ethics agreements to address group conflicts of interest.

In recent weeks, the agency has released a series of financial disclosures and ethics agreements for ultra-wealthy individuals nominated to serve in Mr. Trump’s administration.

Earlier on Monday, California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff wrote to Huitema and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, asking for information on whether billionaire Elon Musk complied with federal conflict of interest and ethics laws.

Musk, a top donor to Mr Trump's election, has been given broad powers by the US president to cut federal spending and audit government data and IT systems, even though his companies have billions of dollars in government contracts.

On the same day, President Trump also signed a pardon for Rod Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison. "I'm honored to do that," Trump said in a speech from the Oval Office on Monday. "He was framed."

A US police photo of Blagojevich taken on the day of his arrest.

Over the past several months, the former Democratic governor has been active on X, expressing his support for President Trump and retweeting content from Trump's inner circle, including Elon Musk and Kash Patel, Trump's pick to be FBI director.

In 2011, Blagojevich was convicted of 17 counts of corruption, including attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat that former President Barack Obama vacated after winning the White House in 2008.

During his first term, President Trump also commuted Blagojevich's sentence, calling Blagojevich's 14-year prison sentence "absolutely egregious and ridiculous," although he also expressed that he did not know Blagojevich well.

Bui Huy (according to OGE ABC, CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ong-donald-trump-sa-thai-giam-doc-dao-duc-chinh-phu-an-xa-cuu-thong-doc-chiu-an-tham-nhung-post333933.html