Ethics office highlights ban on endorsements after Trump tweets 'Buy L.L. Bean'

[highplainsdem]

Source: The Hill

The chief government ethics watchdog reminded executive branch employees Friday they are barred from endorsing products — one day after President-elect Donald Trump tweeted his support for retailer L.L. Bean.

The Office of Government Ethics posted a “refresher” on its website Friday that details certain practices that are prohibited for members of the executive branch. Included on the list is “endorsing any product, service, or company.”

The article was posted one day after Trump tweeted “Buy L.L. Bean” to his nearly 20 million followers. Trump thanked Linda Bean, the heiress to the outdoor apparel company and supporter of a pro-Trump PAC, in the tweet.

The OGE post does not make any mention of Trump directly, but the president-elect and the independent ethics watchdog for the executive branch have clashed lately on ethical issues.

-snip-

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/news/314228-ethics-office-highlights-ban-on-endorsements-after-trump-tweets-buy-ll-bean

[angstlessk]

1. Laws are for people who 'give a shite'

[louis-t]

2. He knows better, yet he did it anyway.

Welcome to drumpf's America. The country is now for sale.

[mpcamb]

17. She broke the law. She's a criminal, right?

That's the name for people who break laws.
How in the hell is he applauding this?

IMPEACH! Impeach the the treasonous bastard!


Apologies to bastards everywhere.

[True Dough]

3. This is just the beginning

The question will be when the warnings stop from the ethics watchdog and the penalties kick in.

[groundloop]

4. Penalties ?????

Penalties only apply to little people.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. The POTUS is an employee of the people. tRump must never be allowed to forget that.

tRump will soon be a Federal employee.

[Else You Are Mad]

6. This will just make Trump...

Endorse more products and companies. I wouldn't be surprised if his 'blind trust ' is paid for his endorsements.

[TeamPooka]

7. Like telling Al Capone not to jaywalk. nt

[left-of-center2012]

8. Hasn't Trump said rules don't apply to the President?

And how about when he attacks companies, causing their stock to go down?

[forgotmylogin]

9. She needs to clarify:

Is the President an "employee" of the executive branch? Trump will probably make this point.

But good move on her part.

They probably need to also make clear that "maligning any product" to make its stocks crash is also included in that.

[DK504]

10. This another reason the Congress wants to get rid of the ethics committee.

They are making is easy to rip us off on a daily basis.

[MurrayDelph]

12. Or, as it will be called if the Republicans get their way

The Department of Ethics-Shmethics.

[grantcart]

16. which will be prosecuted in the court of Laws-Shmaws.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. Soon demanding "ethics" will be denigrated and called "being 'politically correct'"

[ProudLib72]

13. Here's a thought

If you do something against the rules on DU, you get banned. If tRump breaks the rules, he gets a nice memo reminding him not to do such things. How about banning him from office?

[nwduke]

14. Boycott

L.L. Bean. I have deleted my account!

[tecelote]

15. Damn. Boycott Linda Beans Perfect Maine company

http://www.lindabeansperfectmaine.com/

Not LL Bean. They are a great family owned company in a very blue part of Maine.

[progressoid]

18. The next few years are going to be a constant ethics debacle.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

19. Well. Yay. I guess. Who's gonna enforce that now?

Without someone enforcing it, it doesn't mean much.

Thank dog President Obama forged many diplomatic ties and much love around the world.

We all may need outside help; I can easily imagine him on the phone making a lot of unifying calls.

[Nick Otean]

20. Kick nt

[Mc Mike]

21. Well, they're either going to be verrrry busy for a while, or

eliminated by the repug party.