Ethics & Accountability


We are challenging ethics abuses and transparency issues and demanding accountability from Congress and the Executive Branch, because that’s what the American people deserve.

Tag Archive for: Ethics & Accountability

Huffington Post Op-ed: A Declaration of Independence from Donald Trump

On July 4, 1776, our Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, which set forth a series of findings about the unacceptable acts committed by King George III and which ended our relationship with England. In less than two months in office, President Donald Trump already has committed his own series of unacceptable acts. He […]

Democracy 21 Tells Acting AG for Russia Investigation that DOJ Regulations Require Independent Special Counsel

  In a letter sent today to Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente, Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer called on Boente “to exercise the authority provided under Justice Department regulations to appoint an independent Special Counsel to assume authority over and lead the Russia investigation and related matters.” Attorney General Sessions designated Boente yesterday to […]

Democracy 21 Files Second Complaint against AG Sessions for Recusal Failure with DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility

  Democracy 21 sent a second complaint this morning to the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) that called on OPR “to make immediate public findings that Attorney General Jeff Sessions must immediately recuse himself from any Department of Justice investigations and actions relating to the Russian role in the 2016 presidential election.” The […]

Democracy 21 Files Complaint with DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility Against AG Sessions for Recusal Failure in Violation of DOJ Regulations

Democracy 21 filed a complaint today with the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) calling on OPR to promptly investigate Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ violation of Justice Department regulations requiring him to recuse himself from the FBI investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election. The Democracy 21 complaint states that the recusal […]

Groups Inform AG Sessions that Federal Regulations Require His Recusal from Investigations Regarding Russia’s Intervention in 2016 Election and Flynn’s Activities

  In a letter sent to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, 25 organizations and individuals, including those with legal and ethics expertise, called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to promptly recuse himself from all Department of Justice investigations and actions regarding: – any interactions between President Donald Trump, his campaign staff or other individuals supporting his […]

Groups Urge Senators to Support Disclosure Bill to Address Trump’s Emoluments Clause Problems Relating to Trade Activities

  In a letter sent today to senators, a group of 18 organizations and individuals with expertise in governance issues strongly urged senators to support and cosponsor the Presidential Trade Transparency Act of 2017. The Act, sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden and other senators, would require a president to disclose his foreign income, assets and liabilities […]

AG Sessions Must Recuse Himself from Investigation into Russia’s 2016 Campaign Intervention and Flynn’s Activities

  Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer Attorney General Jeff Sessions must recuse himself from the investigation being conducted by the FBI and intelligence agencies into Russia’s intervention into our 2016 presidential campaign and into the activities of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Sessions has no justifiable basis to participate in these investigations […]

Fred Wertheimer for Huffington Post: “Flynn Scandal is First of Many Trump Presidency Will Have”

  The unfolding scandal involving National Security Adviser Michael Flynn is just the first of many scandals we can expect from the Trump presidency. President Trump’s stubborn refusal to follow the lead of his predecessors for the past four decades and dispose of the ownership of his global business enterprises has created intolerable conflicts of […]

Reform Groups and Individuals with Governance Expertise Challenge Priebus’ “Highly Inappropriate” Attempt to Intimidate OGE Director

  In a letter sent today to Reince Priebus, incoming White House chief of staff, a group of nineteen organizations and individuals with governance expertise challenged Priebus’ comments as “highly inappropriate and an obvious effort to intimidate” the director of the Office of Government Ethics, Walter Shaub. The signers of the letter included Richard Painter, […]

Fred Wertheimer – House Republicans Again Try to Shoot the Ethics Messenger

  Ethics and conflict of interest rules exist to protect the American people from corruption, the misuse of public office for personal financial gain and other abuses of public office. However, House Republicans have shown very little interest in ethics and conflict of interest rules – except when anyone tries to make them work. At […]