Trump's treasury secretary accused of ethics violation after Lego Batman 'plug'
Source: Guardian News
Democrat senator calls for investigation of comments made during interview, but spokesman for Steven Mnuchin says alleged product promotion was a lighthearted moment
Gwilym Mumford
Tuesday 28 March 2017 08.58 EDT
A senior Democrat has called for US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin to face an ethics violation investigation over comments he made plugging The Lego Batman Movie, a film financed by one of Mnuchins companies.
In a letter to Office of Government Ethics director Walter Shaub, Ron Wyden, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate finance committee, expressed concern over comments made by Mnuchin during a live Q&A with the political news website Axios, in which Mnuchin called on the public to send all your kids to Lego Batman.
Mnuchin is the co-founder of RatPac-Dune, a production company that funded Lego Batman as well as films such as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. As part of an ethics agreement made on becoming treasury secretary, Mnuchin has promised to divest his holdings in the company within four months of being confirmed by the senate and to not participate personally and substantially in any matter that has a direct and predictable effect on the financial interests of the entity.
In his letter, Wyden states that the Senate finance committee has seen no evidence that Mnuchin has divested his interests in RatPac-Dune. I am concerned that Sec Mnuchins comments may be seen to have a predictable effect on the financial interests [of RatPac-Dune], Wyden wrote. I request that you review Sec Mnuchins comments and report any findings to me and the Treasury department.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/mar/28/us-treasury-secretary-steven-mnuchin-trump-lego-batman-plug
Zoonart
(11,935 posts)this entire administration is a money sucking criminal enterprise.
Pacifist Patriot
(24,655 posts)gordianot
(15,268 posts)How I long for the days when needless drama was avoided and you did not have to worry about the Executive branch.
HoneyBadger
(2,297 posts)DK504
(3,847 posts)The Ompaloompa has hired the greatest cabal of criminals in the history of our country. So Kremlin Kelly gets away with massive ethics violation, now Munchkin, Little smarmy Jared, Flynn, etc ....
The list keeps on going ta' boot.
El Mimbreno
(778 posts)Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)mackdaddy
(1,534 posts)Sometimes I think the Trump admin is like a Bizzaro Lex Luthor being elected president. Only they are not that smart. Just corrupt and self dealing.
pangaia
(24,324 posts)it WAS lighthearted, and humorous...........
But it isn't, and it wasn't, and I don't
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)BillyBobBrilliant
(805 posts)are we going to get the stench out of the whitehouse after they are gone? Assuming there will be a whitehouse, or a country, or an american, or human life remaining.
FSogol
(45,603 posts)I'd be less likely to see a movie that Mnuchin promoted.