Latest news with #CitizensforResponsibilityandEthicsinWashington
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Supreme Court blocks disclosure of DOGE operations for now
The court's three liberal justices - Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson - disagreed with that decision. A federal judge had said Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is allowed to question the head of DOGE and receive certain documents to help make its case that DOGE must comply with the nation's premier public disclosure law. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in March that DOGE appears to have enough independent authority that it should be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. But he later said additional information is needed to evaluate the administration's claim that DOGE is merely a presidential advisory body. Chief Justice John Roberts had previously paused Cooper's order requiring some transparency to give the justices time to consider the administration's emergency request that the order be quashed. The Justice Department argued Cooper's order "turns FOIA on its head," effectively requiring disclosure before courts have definitively said DOGE must comply with the act. That could lead to "opening season for FOIA requests on the President's advisors," Solicitor General John Sauer argued in his request. The watchdog group responded that the administration wants the courts to "blindly yield" to its characterization of DOGE. That would give the president free reign to create entities to get around transparency laws, CREW told the Supreme Court. Elon Musk, who launched DOGE, has complained that people are unfairly blaming DOGE for all problems in the Trump administration. "DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything," Musk said in an interview with the Washington Post published May 27. "So, like, something bad would happen anywhere, and we would get blamed for it even if we had nothing to do with it." Musk previously called DOGE, "the most transparent organization in government ever."
Shafaq News
16-05-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Trump under fire over Qatari jet gift
Shafaq News/ US President Donald Trump is facing fresh accusations of corruption and ethics violations after accepting a luxury jet from Qatar and allegedly promoting cryptocurrency ventures linked to his inner circle. Watchdog groups and opposition lawmakers have slammed Trump's decision to accept a Boeing 747 from Qatar's royal family—reportedly worth $400 million—intended to serve as a presidential aircraft before being donated to Trump's presidential library. 'It's perhaps the most blatant and egregious corruption we've seen compared to his first term,' Noah Bookbinder, president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), told AFP. 'There's a real danger that when it comes time to make decisions involving Qatar, the president will be thinking about how grateful he is for that jet instead of considering what's best for the American people.' Trump dismissed criticism of the gift earlier this week, calling it 'stupid' to reject it and suggesting it reflects a new chapter in US-Qatar relations. However, the US Constitution prohibits federal officials from accepting gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval. The White House has claimed it is applying the "highest level of transparency" in handling the matter. Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer called the jet "the biggest presidential bribe in modern history,' amplifying concerns over Trump's financial entanglements with Gulf states. Beyond the aircraft, watchdogs have flagged growing concerns about Trump's promotion of cryptocurrency, including a May 22 dinner he plans to host at one of his private golf clubs exclusively for the top 220 investors in his "$Trump" token. The top 25 contributors will reportedly receive a special tour of the White House. Groups have also cited a March announcement that UAE-based fund MGX will invest $2 billion in crypto exchange Binance using a token associated with Trump's family business, World Liberty Financial. As part of his current Middle East trip, Trump arrived in the UAE on Thursday following visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar—three countries with longstanding business ties to the Trump Organization, including real estate, sports, and finance sectors.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This meme coin dinner is over the top — even for Trump
Unbelievable. That's the first word that came to mind when I saw President Donald Trump's announcement last week that he will host a dinner for the 220 top holders of the $TRUMP meme coin, complete with a private reception and White House tour for the top 25 investors. Trump's efforts to grift off the presidency are not new, and his first term was largely defined by corruption and self-dealing. My organization, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, tracked 3,700 conflicts of interest over the course of his four years in office. All of these conflicts stemmed from Trump's failure to meaningfully divest from his business holdings. But throughout those thousands of examples, I'm not sure we ever saw anything as blatant as this meme coin dinner. This is over the top — even for Trump — because while the practice of putting money in his pocket and subsequently gaining access to the presidency is far from new, it is more shameless than it has ever been. And even MAGA Republicans are beginning to take note. On Friday, Trump ally Sen. Cynthia Lummis, of Wyoming, for example, said the dinner "gives me pause." Let's be explicit about what's happening here: Trump appears to be auctioning off access to the presidency. The more of his cryptocurrency that people buy, the higher their chances of meeting Trump at his club. And there's no ambiguity about who is profiting. Trump launched $TRUMP on Jan. 17, and Trump is able to personally profits in a few ways. As The New York Times reported: A business entity linked to Mr. Trump owns a large tranche of the coins, meaning the president personally profits every time the price increases, at least on paper. Mr. Trump and his business partners also collect fees when the coins are traded, a windfall that amounted to nearly $100 million in the weeks after the coin debuted in January. The public is clearly paying attention — after Trump made his reception announcement, the price of Trump's coin surged more than 50%. That brings Trump more money. He may also stand to make an additional profit by holding the dinner at one of his golf clubs. The buying process is also extremely opaque. At the end of the day, we don't know everyone who is spending money at his properties, investing in Truth Social or buying up his crypto assets. (Neither the White House nor the company behind the meme coin responded to recent NBC News requests for comment.) This raises glaring ethics concerns but, unfortunately, for the most part, our ethics laws outside of the Emoluments Clauses of the Constitution don't apply to the president. Those clauses bar the president from receiving profits, gains or advantages from foreign, state and federal governments. Unless a state, federal or foreign government purchased the $TRUMP coins, there's very little we, or anyone, can do. But because the buyers behind crypto transactions are generally not disclosed, foreign governments could in fact be buying these coins, meaning that Trump could be violating the Constitution without the public finding out. Individuals or special interests could also be buying the coins in the hopes of directly influencing presidential decisions that will affect all of us. Here, too, the public likely wouldn't know. This is unacceptable. In 2019, the Trump administration announced its intention to hold the G-7 summit, a gathering of heads of state and government officials from seven major countries, at Trump's Doral golf resort. This was met with widespread outrage, and just two days later, the administration reversed course. Similar outrage is appropriate, and needed, here. A president is supposed to serve the public, not his own interests or the interests of a wealthy few. With this meme coin dinner, Trump is giving the highest bidders access to the president while lining his own pockets. These wealthy investors are getting a unique chance to potentially influence decisions that could affect regular Americans' lives. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of civil servants are losing their jobs thanks to his administration's budget cuts, with a possible recession on the horizon as a result of Trump's tariff policy. This is disturbing corruption, and we cannot allow it to pass by as a new normal. This article was originally published on
Associated Press
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Live updates: Trump administration takes aim at Harvard international students and tax-exempt status
The Trump administration has escalated its ongoing battle with Harvard, threatening to block the university from enrolling international students as the president called for withdrawing Harvard's tax-exempt status. The moves raise the stakes of the showdown between the White House and the nation's oldest, wealthiest and arguably most prestigious university, Update: Date: Title: Rubio says the US will drop Ukraine-Russia peace efforts if no progress within days Content: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the U.S. may 'move on' from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days, after months of efforts have failed to bring an end to the fighting. He spoke in Paris after landmark talks among U.S., Ukrainian and European officials produced outlines for steps toward peace and appeared to make some long-awaited progress. A new meeting is expected next week in London, and Rubio suggested that could be decisive in determining whether the Trump administration continues its involvement. 'We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,' Rubio told reporters upon departure. 'Because if it's not, then I think we're just going to move on.' 'It's not our war,' Rubio said. 'We have other priorities to focus on.' He said the U.S. administration wants to decide 'in a matter of days.' ▶ Read more about Rubio's comments Update: Date: Title: Law firms, universities and now civil society groups are in Trump's sights for punitive action Content: First the nation's top law firms. Then its premier universities. Now, Trump is leaning on the advocacy groups that underpin U.S. civil society. Trump said Thursday that the administration is looking at the tax-exempt status not just of Harvard, but environmental groups and specifically the ethics watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW. The president's remarks began to confirm what advocacy groups have been quietly warning: Trump's campaign of retribution is coming next for them. Trump and his team have been working their way through the nation's institutions, threatening to chisel away at the independence and autonomy of the law firms, college campuses and now advocacy groups — or putting them at risk of losing their federal funds or professional livelihood. ▶ Read more about Trump's plans to go after law firms and universities Update: Date: Title: Ask AP a question Content: Update: Date: Title: Trump administration seeks explosive expansion of nation's immigration detention system Content: If Trump's administration has its way, the capacity to hold tens of thousands more migrants will soon be added around the country as the U.S. seeks an explosive expansion of what is already the world's largest immigration detention system. Trump's effort to conduct mass deportations as promised in the 2024 campaign represents a potential bonanza for private prison companies and a challenge to the government agencies responsible for the orderly expulsion of immigrants. Some critics say the administration's plans also include a deliberate attempt to isolate detainees by locking them up and holding court proceedings far from their attorneys and support systems. The acting director of the ICE, Todd Lyons, said at a border security conference in Phoenix last week that the agency needs 'to get better at treating this like a business' and suggested the nation's deportation system could function 'like Amazon, trying to get your product delivered in 24 hours.' ▶Read more about the administration's plans Update: Date: Title: Trump administration takes aim at Harvard's international students and tax-exempt status Content: The Trump administration has escalated its ongoing battle with Harvard, threatening to block the university from enrolling international students as the president called for withdrawing Harvard's tax-exempt status. The moves raise the stakes of the showdown between the White House and the nation's oldest, wealthiest and arguably most prestigious university, which on Monday became the first to openly defy the administration's demands related to activism on campus, antisemitism and diversity. 'I think Harvard's a disgrace,' President Donald Trump told reporters Thursday. By taking action against international students and the school's tax status, the administration struck at two pillars of Harvard, where international students make up 27% of the campus, and the majority of the student body is in graduate school, often conducting globally prominent research. The school has risen to distinction by attracting the world's top talent and large tax-deductible gifts from the country's richest donors. The federal government has already frozen more than $2 billion in grants and contracts to the Ivy League institution. ▶ Read more about the battle between Trump and Harvard
Washington Post
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Law firms, universities and now civil society groups are in Trump's sights for punitive action
WASHINGTON — First the nation's top law firms . Then its premier universities . Now, President Donald Trump is leaning on the advocacy groups that underpin U.S. civil society. Trump said Thursday that the administration is looking at the tax-exempt status not just of Harvard , but environmental groups and specifically the ethics watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW. It could be a devastating financial blow to the nonprofit organizations — and his perceived political foes. The president's remarks, during an event at the White House, began to confirm what advocacy groups have been quietly warning: Trump's campaign of retribution is coming next for them. 'It's supposed to be a charitable organization,' Trump said about CREW, in particular. 'The only charity they had is going after Donald Trump. So we're looking at that. We're looking at a lot of things.' Trump and his team have been working their way through the nation's institutions, threatening to chisel away at the independence and autonomy of the law firms, college campuses and now advocacy groups — or putting them at risk of losing their federal funds or professional livelihood. It's all coming quickly, not yet 100 days into the new administration, and in ways historically unheard of in this country for their speed and scope. And it's sending shock waves reverberating throughout the American system. 'It's a sad day in this country when organizations that provide critical services to their communities are under attack from their government,' said Cole Leiter, executive director of the advocacy group Americans Against Government Censorship. 'No administration, Republican or Democratic, should be able to weaponize the weight of the government against their political enemies.' On their own, Trump's actions are an almost daily list of executive pronouncements from the White House. The Trump administration has issued orders against the law firms that had cases or attorneys perceived to be against him, and it has made demands of the universities over their rules around campus activism. Thursday brought potentially more to the stack: Trump singled out CREW, the watchdog group whose founder, Norm Eisen, played a pivotal role in Trump's first impeachment, and the environmental groups that largely stand at odds with his 'drill baby drill' agenda. 'Tax exempt status — I mean, it's a privilege. It's really a privilege, and it's been abused by a lot more than Harvard,' Trump said. 'We'll be making some statements. It's a big deal.' But taken together, the executive orders and actions and memos are making one thing clear: The Trump administration is eager to test new ways to flex executive power, and dare the courts and Congress to intervene. And there's more expected to come. Environmental, immigration and civil society advocacy groups have been bracing for potential threats to their tax-exempt status, according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it. The person said some expect Trump might start taking action against the environmental groups on Earth Day, which is Tuesday. These are the largely nonprofit organizations and groups, many based in Washington, advocating for various communities, constituencies and causes. Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, said environmental groups have heard that the Trump administration is preparing executive orders targeting the tax status of environmental groups that work on climate change, as well as that of any foundations that fund their work. 'Trump is marshaling all the power of government to punish his perceived enemies,' Suckling said. 'We've got a crack legal team and will have him in court within 24 hours. We're ready and waiting for him to come at us.' CREW has been a leading ethics group in Washington, with Trump long the subject of its probes. Ahead of the 2024 election, the group was part of the legal effort to disqualify Trump from regaining the White House under the 14th Amendment , in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. More recently, CREW sued over the firing of federal workers by Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency. 'For more than 20 years, CREW has exposed government corruption from politicians of both parties who violate the public trust and has worked to promote an ethical, transparent government,' said Jordan Libowitz, the organization's vice president. Trump's attacks on civil society have created a climate that is potentially chilling for the organizations in question — but they have had mixed results. Five of the major law firms and Trump reached a deal in which they agreed to provide a combined hundreds of millions of dollars in pro bono counsel to causes the administration says it supports. The firms are trying to avoid various sanctions, including terminated federal contracts, federal employment investigations over diversity hiring and others. While Columbia University agreed to the Trump administration's demands to overhaul its rules for public protests rather than risk billions of dollars in lost federal funds, Harvard rebuffed the administration and now faces a $2 billion federal funding freeze and the threat to its tax-exempt status. The tax-exempt status allows nonprofit organizations to receive donations that are crucial to their financial bottom line. Changing that could, in some situations, lead to calamity. 'Good governance groups are the heart of a healthy democracy,' Libowitz said. 'We will continue to do our work to ensure Americans have an ethical and accountable government.' ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, contributed to this report.
