Walter Schaub, the recently outgoing Director of the United States
Office of Government Ethics, was interviewed on television after he
decided to resign from his post. In the interview he explained that the
function of this Office is to advise people in government how to avoid doing
unethical acts and warn them when they are doing unethical acts whether on
purpose or inadvertently. He complained that Trump and his team are not
concerned with acting ethically. They believe that anything they do which does
not break the law is OK whether or not it is ethical, in other words whatever
they can get away with. That view is apparently the way Trump acted in his
business dealings before he became president. As president, Trump mixes up his
personal business with his role as a public servant and uses the office of
presidency to support his personal financial business. Trump believes that is
strictly speaking within the law. There is some question as to whether that is
true. However even if it is legal, it is not ethical to push the envelope to
the edge. Those who follow and enable Trump say all politicians do it, so it is
OK. However that is not true. Trump is unique in his lack of ethical behavior.
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