Trump Failing to Drain Swamp, Address Conflicts of Interest

Trump Failing to Drain Swamp, Address Conflicts of Interest
Fecha de publicación: 
23 March 2017
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Pre-election promises seem to have all but vanished, according to a report from advocacy groups. 

One of Donald Trump’s key election promises was to “drain the swamp” from lobbying and corporate donations in Washington. But a new report from advocacy groups has explained how this promise is all but broken, with a mountainous catalogue of conflict of interests, scandals, corruption and cronyism from within the Trump family.

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According to “Broken Promises: How Trump is Profiting Off the Presidency and Empowering Lobbyists and Big Donors,” published by Every Voice and Public Citizen, Trump has broken virtually every swamp draining pledge.

“Trump has filled his administration with the same major donors and Wall Street executives he claimed he would fight if elected,” Public Citizen said in a press release.

As a well-established billionaire businessman, Trump initially vowed to address the conflicts of interests with the presidency by isolating himself from his business interests through handing control over to his sons. But the report said that Trump had failed to properly divest and his ethical plan was well below other administrations.

Trump was seen to have a long list of questionable activities since he was inaugurated two months ago, where a number of his business partners were in attendance.

While the president said that his business would not pursue any new foreign deals, the company then restarted a project in the Dominican Republic and settled trademark disputes in China. 

Furthermore, a number of government policies were seen to benefit his businesses. The controversial Muslim travel ban failed to include countries where Trump businesses had dealings and the plan to scrap regulations for Wall Street could see increased profits for Trump companies.

Rollbacks on environmental regulations could also benefit Trump owned golf courses, while plans to curb lobbying with the federal government was also appear to have gone by the wayside.

“Trump refuses to take his conflicts of interest and the threat of wealthy special interest influence in his administration seriously, he fails the millions of voters who supported him because of their sincere belief he’d reduce the power of lobbyists and big donors if elected,” said head of Every Voice, David Donnelly.

Trump’s family was also seen to be benefiting from his new post, as his wife Melania's attorney, for instance, recognized the business and marketing opportunity of being first lady and she was earlier criticized for promoting here Jewelry brand through the White House's official website.

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After retailer Nordstrom chose to drop his daughter Ivanka’s clothing company, Trump went on the attack, tweeting that she had been “treated so unfairly” by the company.  

More recently, Ivanka was seen sitting in on a business and labor meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Despite not being elected or even a government employee, she is reportedly taking up office in the West Wing and has been issued with government equipment. Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner, has already been appointed as one of Trump’s main advisors. 

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