18 Trump appointees have either resigned or been terminated from military service academy boards, ..

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Washington Post

Politics

18 Trump appointees have either resigned or been terminated from military service academy boards, White House official says

By Felicia Sonmez
Today at 8:54 a.m. EDT

Eighteen Trump administration appointees serving on the advisory boards of military service academies have either resigned from their positions or were terminated, following a request from the Biden administration earlier this week, a White House official said Friday.

The appointees had been serving on the advisory boards of the Air Force Academy, Naval Academy and U.S. Military Academy at West Point, with six on each board, according to the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Among the Trump appointees were former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, former White House press secretary Sean Spicer and former national security adviser H.R. McMaster.

On Wednesday, the White House defended the move, arguing that it was about qualifications and values, not politics.

{snip}

By Felicia Sonmez
Felicia Sonmez is a national political reporter covering breaking news from the White House, Congress and the campaign trail. She was previously based in Beijing, where she worked for Agence France-Presse and The Wall Street Journal. Twitter https://twitter.com/feliciasonmez

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-appointees-military-boards/2021/09/10/40d31b80-1232-11ec-bc8a-8d9a5b534194_story.html

[Me.]

1. Now Let's Do The Same With The USPS

Dejoy and Bloom have been running amok and someone needs to look into the money exchanging hands between the two of them

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. To be precise,

there was no exchange of money between DeJoy and Bloom. DeJoy bought bonds from a firm of which Bloom was a managing partner.

Fri Aug 13, 2021: DeJoy bought up to $305,000 in bonds from USPS board chair's investment firm

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy purchased up to $305,000 in bonds from an investment firm whose managing partner also chairs the U.S. Postal Service’s governing board

[Me.]

4. Does Bloom, As A Partner, Benefit From Such A Transaction?

To be precise, such shares are financial.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. About as much as I benefit from tobacco stocks held in an S&P 500 Index fund. NT

[SunSeeker]

9. Bad analogy. An S&P Index fund is not like buying shares from your buddy's fund.

The S&P 500 index fund doesn't even know you, let alone is it in a position to do you any favors, and vice versa.

[former9thward]

10. It is a good analogy.

Have you ever bought bonds? Bloom's firm probably got a commission fee of between $200 and $300 off that sale. (And I am going high there, I could buy that many bonds for about $10 from the company I deal with)

Do you really think someone is going to do favor for that petty amount?

[SunSeeker]

13. Nope. He knew the guy. Helped him make a sale. Not like buying into a 401k.

Interesting you would find me in this subthread....

[former9thward]

14. LOL Helped him make the sale?

You can buy 300k of bonds with two mouseclicks. How far off can you be?

[SunSeeker]

15. DeJoy bought them from his buddy, who he knew and with whom he has a conflict of interest.

Most people who care about good government don't find that funny.

[former9thward]

16. Bloom was a senior Obama administration appointee.

But now he is someone's "buddy" filled with conflict of interest because his company, worth hundreds of millions if not more, makes a $300 commission, if that. OK, got it....

[SunSeeker]

17. Trump appointed Bloom to the USPS Board of Governors in 2019, not Obama.

And yes, he has a conflict of interest with DeJoy, when DeJoy buys $305,000 worth of bonds from Bloom's Brookfield. And I doubt the commission was only $300.

Regardless, it's still a sale, and stinks. Brookfield is also invested in DeJoy's big moneymaker XPO, a USPS competitor:

Other elements of DeJoy’s financial ties have drawn close examination from ethics watchdogs. DeJoy-controlled companies lease four office buildings to global shipping behemoth XPO Logistics, DeJoy’s former company. XPO pays DeJoy more than $2 million annually in rent, The Washington Post previously reported. Brookfield also owns more than $500,000 in shares of XPO, according to its securities filings.

“I’m stuck on DeJoy’s purchase of bonds from the company in which his quasi-boss is a managing partner,” said Kathleen Clark, a law professor who studies government ethics at Washington University in St. Louis, “because I wonder whether it affects Bloom’s ability to protect the public interest in his assessment of DeJoy’s performance as postmaster general.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/08/13/dejoy-usps-bloom-bonds-brookfield/

That could be why Bloom backed DeJoy’s plans to slow mail delivery and raise prices.

[former9thward]

18. Are you stating Bloom did not work for Obama?

Are you saying he was not appointed by Obama to a senior position?

[SunSeeker]

19. No, I'm saying Bloom, in the position TRUMP appointed him, has a conflict of interest.

Obama appointed Republicans and conservative Democrats in his administration. So What?

Are you saying just because Bloom worked in some other position under the Obama administration he can't possibly have a conflict of interest on the USPS BOARD?

[former9thward]

20. So now Bloom is a Republican or conservative Democrat?

Someone who was with the United Steelworkers Union and worked with Clinton in efforts to help steelworkers as they were hit by shutdown? The Steelworkers were my old union and Bloom is not the person you are trying to characterize him. I wonder what President Obama would think if he saw your post?

[SunSeeker]

21. Who the fuck cares what party he is or was? He has a conflict of interest NOW.

My point is that just because he worked in the Obama administration doesn't mean he isn't a pal of DeJoy’s. Obama appointed Republicans and conservative Democrats. So your attempts to deflect from the conflict issue is just silly. Bloom now supports DeJoy's ridiculous plan to slow down mail service, all while profiting, like DeJoy, off a USPS competitor.

Maybe he was a good deal maker back in the day. But now, his ethics stink. And I think Obama would agree.

[Traildogbob]

3. Advisors???

Just think, the board members are advising how to educate and train future military officers graduating from these academies. First CONway…….have we not seen her parenting skills???? And the oath these cadets take about honesty and truth is 180 from the ethics that lying crack witch treasures and exhibits. And, who out there would want to head into battle with the likes of a lying Whiny bitch like Spicer. Forget politics, there MUST be a minimum of integrity, honestly and leadership skills to be on those boards. I have been on the Advisory Board for the Department and curriculum at the college I retired from as Faculty. Aside from me, ALL the members of this board are professionals in the fields this curriculum passionately trains its students to be future employees. We suggest the course material that would make grads perfect for their team’s of workers. USFS, USFW, NPS, all state departments that employ Forestry and Fish and Wildlife grads, private industry, and even post grad educators, a choice many students take to further their education. And all are meticulously selected to serve on this advisory board. Not a single political appointee. I would hope board members of our military academies would be equally vetted to advise. CONway and Spicer??? Why not Marginal Trailer Queen and bang bang Barbie. Or Cawthorn after the people fire them. Each Equally as qualified as CONway. So CONway, Get your damn nasty feet off the Academy’s couch bitch, and go salvage your child’s life, if she has any use for you.

[former9thward]

11. They are not advising anyone.

These are honorary positions given to political supporters of the president and high ranking members of Congress. President Biden will appoint political supporters to these boards the same as other presidents before him.

[Traildogbob]

12. Well then.

Guess we just took our appointments WAY too damn serious. And WE got no perks. Our federal gubment working on the important stuff. I was Westin that CONway and Spicer was advising no one. And wasn’t CONwsy White House advisor? All that advising skill wasted on a fake Academy board. Government of the people, by the people. It’s a beautiful thing.

[Pas-de-Calais]

6. Get ALL of #45 cockroaches OUT

NOW!

Every #46 installation needs to check ALL employees to determine their installation start date

[Crataegus]

7. Loyalty gifts

These positions are loyalty gifts to Trmp lackys.
They cost him nothing.
In return he gets another layer of obligation.
Trinkets for fools.

[SunSeeker]

8. Bye! Don't let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya!