Congressman Tom O’Halleran sent a letter to President Donald Trump last week regarding his administration’s lack of transparency on ethics waivers issued to appointees.
“As a former law enforcement officer, I know that a community’s faith in the institutions that serve them are critical for the safety and wellbeing of all,” wrote O’Halleran. “That’s why I am extremely concerned about reports indicating ethics waivers for political appointees in your administration are being issued in secret and no longer published online.”

On Jan. 28, President Trump signed an executive order to improve ethics and transparency.
The Office of Government Ethics has requested copies of any current waivers by June 1.
“I strongly urge your administration to comply with OGE’s request for these waivers to remove any doubt that government employees are not using taxpayer resources to engage in conflicts of interest,” continued O’Halleran. “I made a commitment to my constituents that I would work to bring accountability and transparency to Washington,” said O’Halleran, commenting on the letter’s intent. “This is not a partisan issue; the American people deserve a government that is accountable to them. It is my hope that the Trump Administration will work with the Office of Government Ethics to disclose public information.”
Waivers have been issued by past administrations from both political parties, typically within a set of strict parameters, and are disclosed for public inspection.