Two senior White House staffers have been granted ethics waivers allowing them to interact with old colleagues and employers, according to a decision last month by the Office of the White House counsel made public on Monday.
A memo drafted by White House counselor Don McGahn on July 13 shows that President Trump’s communications director Bill Shine and top economist Larry Kudlow were both excused from ethics rules that prevent administration officials from pursuing work that could financially benefit former employers or relatives. Shine and Kudlow worked for Fox News and CNBC, respectively, before joining the West Wing this summer.
“After careful consideration, I have determined that it is appropriate and in the public interest to provide a limited waiver of the restrictions … to authorize you to participate in meetings and communications with Covered Organizations and Covered Individuals…,” McGahn wrote.
The memo, first reported by the Daily Beast, recognizes Fox News as a “covered organization” and claims the administration “has an interest” in allowing Shine to remain in touch with the TV network.
At least 20 former and current White House officials received similar waivers from Trump’s top lawyer, allowing them to bypass certain federal ethics laws that normally apply to executive branch staffers. They include former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who was permitted to communicate with employees of Breitbart News, where he served as chairman prior to joining the president’s team.
Other waivers apply to senior officials at various agencies, including FBI Director Chris Wray, who was cleared by the Office of Government Ethics earlier this year “to participate in matters involving a confidential former client.”
