President Trump Gets an F for Performance on Government Integrity, Transparency and Accountability in First 100 Days
In a statement issued today, a group of 17 organizations and individuals with expertise in governance issues gives President Donald Trump an F for his performance on government integrity, transparency and accountability in the first 100 days of his presidency.
The statement said, “In the first hundred days of his Administration, President Donald Trump has established the worst record in modern times for a new President on fundamental governing issues of integrity, transparency and accountability.”
The statement said that President Trump has:
– ignored provisions of the Constitution and basic ethical norms established to prevent government corruption and influence buying;
– rejected the core democratic principle of the public’s right to know; and
– challenged basic accountability protections embedded in the Constitution.
The statement was issued by American Oversight, Center for Media and Democracy, Common Cause, CREW, Demand Progress, Democracy 21, Demos, Every Voice, Free Speech for People, Norman Eisen – chief White House Ethics lawyer 2009-2011, Norm Ornstein, People For the American Way, Public Citizen, Richard Painter – chief White House ethics lawyer 2005-2007, Sunlight Foundation, Tom Mann and United to Protect Democracy.
Statement of Organizations and Individuals with Governance Expertise
In the first hundred days of his Administration, President Donald Trump has established the worst record in modern times for a new President on fundamental governing issues of integrity, transparency and accountability.
A few examples tell the story.
President Trump has ignored provisions of the Constitution and basic ethical norms established to prevent government corruption and influence buying. He is the first president in four decades to refuse to divest his financial assets to avoid conflicts of interest and protect the integrity of the presidency. He is the first president to use the presidency to personally enrich himself by owning a global business enterprise and by licensing his name for fees throughout the world. He has paid no attention to ethics and conflicts of interest problems on the part of his family and his presidential appointees that undermine the interests of the American people. His campaign commitment to “drain the swamp” in Washington turned out to be a farce and the political equivalent of bait and switch.
President Trump has rejected the core democratic principle of the public’s right to know. He is the first President since Richard Nixon who has refused to disclose his income taxes. He has used phony “national security” claims to eliminate visitors logs that allow citizens to know who is being given access to the White House. He has undermined the seminal role of facts and truth in a democracy by repeatedly labeling accurate statements as “fake news” and by making false and misleading statements as a matter of course.
President Trump has challenged basic accountability protections embedded in the Constitution. He has undermined the legitimacy of our electoral system, our ultimate means of accountability, by making false claims that massive illegal voting occurred in the 2016 presidential election. He has attacked the integrity and credibility of judges and the judicial branch, an essential accountability safeguard in our constitutional system of checks and balances. He has attacked the media “as an enemy of the people” and refused to recognize its constitutionally based central role in in our democracy.
President Trump gets an F for his performance on the issues of government integrity, transparency and accountability during the first 100 days of his presidency.
American Oversight
Center for Media and Democracy
Common Cause
CREW
Demand Progress
Democracy 21
Demos
Every Voice
Free Speech for People
Norman Eisen, chief White House ethics lawyer, 2009-2011
Norm Ornstein
People for the American Way
Public Citizen
Richard Painter, chief White House ethics lawyer, 2005-2007
Sunlight Foundation
Tom Mann
United to Protect Democracy
