The Three Pillars of Democracy Are Weak Without Ethics: Just Don't Ask Trump Team

Expert on Trump administration tells it straight

Power of the Office of the President is awesome – but just because any president can, does not mean he or she should – cite this Washington Post story (via MSN) (more Trump abuse of power stunt), in part:

Inappropriate: “Trump shot political video on Air Force One”

Seated behind a desk on Air Force One, the presidential seal over his left shoulder, Trump shot a short video Thursday (May 16), blasting NYC Bill de Blasio’s entry into the 2020 race, saying into the camera: “If you like high taxes and if you like crime you can vote for him, but most people aren’t into that.”

Trump’s use of taxpayer-funded transportation to post a political message raises some legal and ethics questions. But possibly the greatest crime, some experts say, is the breakdown of norms.

But based on past events, no ethics experts believe Trump or his staff will be held accountable. Under Trump, formal Hatch Act (does not apply to president and VP) complaints have increased 30% with the most frequent offender being White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, who often mixes politics and official business. 

Conway hawking Ivanka Trump’s jewelry on FOX

(February 10, 2017)

The penalties for breaking the Hatch Act range from a formal reprimand to job termination. For a White House employee, the Office of Special Counsel makes a recommendation of a penalty and up to the president to act.

The B/L as they say from Legal VP Paul S. Ryan at Common Cause: “It’s entirely inappropriate, and it is against historical norms for a president to be campaigning from Air Force One. Most presidents have had enough respect for the office to try to separate campaigning from formal duties. Trump is not such a president. Senior administration has repeatedly violated the Hatch Act, so they’ve gotten reprimands from the Office of Special Counsel, but they keep it doing it over and over again. The problem is that the president doesn’t care about ethics laws.”

My 2 cents: So, who will hold Trump accountable? The voters? Don’t necessarily count on that. DEMS in charge of House authority to draw up Articles of Impeachment? Seems unlikely while heading to 2020 outcome and historical DEM disarray.

So, “We the People” do what to get our country back on the straight and narrow – hell who knows.

The worst part? Trump continues to play us like the apparent fools we are who keep falling for and accepting his con; his abuse of power; and his utter pathetic degradation of the office.

This story is just another sad chapter in American history – and you know that –the whole damn world sees it and has a totally new view of us. That may be the worst part of all – loss of American prestige and leadership.

Talk is cheap – right and proper and just action appears lacking.

Thanks for stopping by.