President Trump has made his pick to lead the Office of Government Ethics, the nonpartisan agency thrust into the spotlight when its former director clashed with President Trump and the White House last year.
The White House announced Wednesday that Trump intends to nominate Emory Rounds to serve as the director of the ethics office.
Rounds is currently an associate counsel at the Office of Government Ethics, where he has worked since 2009. Before joining at the nonpartisan agency, Rounds served as an ethics counsel on the White House counsel’s staff under former President George W. Bush.
The selection of Rounds to lead the ethics office has garnered praise from former ethics officials, including Walter Shaub, who resigned from his post as director of the Office of Government Ethics last year.
Shaub condemned the Trump’s decision not to divest from his business and, since leaving his post with the federal government, is a vocal critic of the president.
“This is very good news! Emory Rounds is a good and decent man who has devoted his life to public service,” Shaub tweeted Wednesday. “He was Richard Painter’s right hand in the Bush White House. Emory will leader OGE ably. I hope the Senate confirms him quickly.”
This is very good news! Emory Rounds is a good and decent man who has devoted his life to public service. He was Richard Painter’s (@RWPUSA) right hand in the Bush White House. Emory will lead OGE ably. I hope the Senate confirms him quickly. https://t.co/ytVrdhsZY2
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) February 8, 2018
Painter, who served as the chief ethics lawyer at the White House under Bush, also praised Rounds. Like Shaub, Painter frequently speaks out against the president.
“Emory Rounds is an excellent choice. Worked with him for 2 1/2 years on White House ethics. Very smart, no nonsense, plays by the rules, no politics,” he tweeted.
Emory Rounds is an excellent choice. Worked with him for 2 1/2 years on White House ethics. Very smart, no nonsense, plays by the rules, no politics.
Trump nominates new ethics office director https://t.co/YlznaGuRUj
— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) February 8, 2018
The White House’s announcement of Trump’s decision to tap Rounds to lead the ethics office comes after the current acting director, David Apol, took a veiled shot at Trump in a message to the federal workforce Monday.
“The good news is that most of you are carrying out the people’s business with honor and integrity. You’re keeping your oath. Thank you. Remember what is at stake and take pride in your service,” Apol wrote in the note, titled “Keeping Our Oath.”
“On the other hand, those who are doing things that undermine the public’s trust, even if they don’t violate a rule, need to stop,” he continued. “Nothing you could gain economically or politically could possible justify putting our democracy at risk. These are perilous times.”
Apol took over as acting head of the agency after Shaub stepped down in July.
