President Obama suggests Trump wise to follow his example on business conflicts

[JonLP24]

Source: CBS News

LIMA, Peru -- President Barack Obama said Sunday he’d avoided ethical scandals throughout his administration by trying to follow the spirit, not just the letter of the law, and suggested President-elect Donald Trump would be wise to follow his example.

Closing out his final foreign trip, Mr. Obama was asked about the complex conflict-of-interest questions Trump faces as he transitions from real estate mogul to Oval Office occupant. Though Mr. Obama declined to explicitly offer Trump advice, the president said he’d been served well by selling his assets and investing them in Treasury bills.

“It simplified my life,” Mr. Obama said. “I did not have to worry about the complexities of whether a decision that I made might even inadvertently benefit me.”

Good government advocates have criticized Trump’s decision not to liquidate his sprawling business interests, but put them in a blind trust entrusted to his children, who are playing major roles in helping him form his administration and are expected to remain involved in one capacity or another.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-obama-suggests-donald-trump-wise-to-follow-his-example-on-business-conflicts/

[Javaman]

1. the orange jerk is nothing but an ethical scandal. nt

[Sunlei]

2. Invest in Treasury bills. what kind of return do T bills give?

“It simplified my life,”

[Grey Lemercier]

4. here you go

[Sunlei]

7. Thanks, almost nothing earns decent interest today, except 'legal' loan sharking.

[riversedge]

3. I will not count on the press to push Trump on this.

[Fast Walker 52]

6. if it's blatant enough... they will have to

and breaking these rules could lead to impeachment

[Fast Walker 52]

5. good luck with that--- flies in the face of everything DJT is for to put country ahead of business

[JudyM]

9. Obama is making a bigly incorrect assumption: that tRump will abide by ethical rules.

“I did not have to worry about the complexities of whether a decision that I made might even inadvertently benefit me.” Cmon, Barack, don't you know that the inadvertent benefits are precisely what he and his kids/cronies will be looking for? They already are!!!

[0rganism]

11. I doubt he's making that assumption

rather he's making certain publicly that Trump has no plausible deniability when such violations occur

[JudyM]

13. There is that, for sure. I've been surprised at some of his statements lately, though, including

his first speech after this election where he spoke as if the republican congress is actually going to be cooperative. I was stunned. He's a natural collaborator but that doesnt work with McConnell et al and he keeps talking like it does.

We have to play hardball with these jackasses. I'm glad Reid is on his way out, what a disappointment... no tooth and nail fight on holding hearings for a Supreme Court nominee?!!!

[Hugin]

10. Too bad Treasury Bills are set to take a big dump.

I mean... Everyone hates the Government, right? So, why invest in it?

[dhill926]

12. agent orange will do whatever the fuck he wants...

and only a few lonely voices will call him on it....face it....we're fucked right now....