Ethics Chief's Early Departure Lets Trump Name Own Watchdog
- Shaub called Trump’s conflict-of-interest plan ‘meaningless’
- OGE director to join Washington money-and-politics group
Walter Shaub, the director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, arrives for a meeting on Capitol Hill in January.
Photographer: J. Scott Applewhite/APThis article is for subscribers only.
Walter Shaub, the director of the federal ethics agency who challenged President Donald Trump over his plans for dealing with potential conflicts of interest, said Thursday that he will step down this month.
Shaub’s resignation from the Office of Government Ethics comes about six months before his term is set to expire in January. It sets the stage for Trump to name Shaub’s successor to a five-year term, subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Ethics specialists said that Shaub’s departure could weaken the agency, which establishes standards of conduct for executive-branch workers.