WASHINGTON: President-elect Joe Biden will issue an executive order after taking office, aimed at reinstating White House ethics standards that were diminished or disregarded by the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump campaigned on draining the swamp of entrenched influences in Washington. Yet in practice, the Trump administration weakened ethics rules and failed to enforce the those he adopted, government watchdog groups say.
The new ethics rules, which were described by an official on Biden’s transition, aim to not only restore Obama-era practices but strengthen them.
They are intended to minimize the ethics minefield posed by the revolving door of incoming former lobbyists and consultants who typically staff presidential administrations, as well as the future employment of departing officials who often find lucrative jobs in Washington’s influence industry.
The official who detailed the new rules spoke on the condition of anonymity because Biden is not yet in office…