Rep. Elijah Cummings Memo on Summary of Interview with White House Whistleblower on Security Clearances (01.04.2019)

USA: Senators Warner, Feinstein, Menendez & Reed letter to DNI Coats and IG Atkinson asking for a review of White House security clearance policies (08.03.2019)

Nepotism103: Cutting Corners to keep the Family Close [Kushner-Ivanka Edition]

Well, over the recent day, there been news of a John Kelly of last year trying to stop the White House from giving Security Clearance to Jared Kushner, surely there would be speculations into the wife as well, Ivanka Trump, who is the daughter of the President, both who are in informal or non-specific roles in the Trump Administration. They are there, but not really there. Which makes the whole arrangement more hectic.

However, ever since winning the election, these two, the power-couple behind the President. Has lingered around him. Not that they have any expertise or knowledge in public administration. No, they are just relatives of the President and therefore, trusted counsel. They are not what you say, career civil servants nor been ideological driven to get the position they are in. It is not because of their education or their profession, they have no experience and no merits to prove their value. Therefore, only the blood-line and the relations are the reasons.

That is why it is even more striking, that the power-couple behind the President are under fire today again. Because of an issue that lasted so long. They went so long without proper security clearances. It is now proven that the President demanded the son-in-law to get the Top Secret Security Clearance, even if he could be compromised, lied about foreign communications and other forms, which is used to prove scrutiny and eligibility for security clearances in the White House. The same was done by his wife Ivanka, as she also had revise her forms and information to the officials for Security Clearance.

These two wouldn’t have gotten away with it, if they weren’t related with the President. The White House has already been in a hot mess of the Security Clearances, as there been plenty with interim security clearances and not gotten properly integrated and following protocol, as the staff is supposed to be clear and trustworthy of such. As they are keeping state secrets and ensuring the safety of the Republic. However, instead there been plenty of questionable behaviour and connections, that even the ones who was already flagged and in question got appointed with the likes of Gen. Michael Flynn.

What we have seen and read is yet another step of nepotism. Where the President has resident and ruled in favour of his family and his closest kin over the Republic. Where the President are ordering for his own sake and not for the safety of the Republic. That is why Security Clearance given to Jared Kushner is done in spite of the laws. The same can be said about the position and abilities Ivanka has too in the White House. They are there because of the President and nothing else.

This is what Tin-Pot dictators does. This is what autocrats and tyrants do, because they doesn’t trust anyone else than family. This is like the mafia and crime-families, this is not actions made by government or public administrations, which are taken serious. They would hire and appoint people of expertise and merits in the fields. Not hire family members and give them ultimate security clearances without having an official office or position in the Cabinet.

Instead, they are two internal satellites within the West Wing. Doing whatever they like, as their mission, their value to staff is bound by family loyalty and not by any ordinary function. They are not afraid of being fired or retired. The family will always take care of them. They are as thick as thieves and maybe they are. Since the investigations are following them and they have to answer for the public for the orders and the appointment of themselves. Since, it is a public administration and not a Sopranos. Feel me?

Kushner, explain yourself, why you revised your documents a million times, John Kelly didn’t advance you and later you still got clearance! Explain, also Mr. President explain that and why Ivanka got a vital role, when none is doing anything significant. Peace.

White House ends this year with more chaos and a prolonged shutdown!

If you ever thought Donald J. Trump was a great leaders. Always visit one of his profitable Casinos in Atlantic City, oh wait, they all went bankrupt. Just as that should have been a warning from the king of debt. The art of the Steal, sorry Deal. President Trump is showing his true horrific leadership skills, as the calender year of 2018.

There been people leaving the Cabinet since the appointments, the list is longer than a phone catalogue. Therefore, mentioning all of them… would be so long and futile, that the Trump Administration cannot keep people around or even be a little stable. That is why there has been Three White House Communication Directors. There are soon on the third or the forth Chief of Staff. Who remembers Reince Prebius from the start, right? We know, that Trump is creating a mess, but blaming the people around him.

That is why everyone around is acting, except for Jared Kusner and Ivanka Trump, who is playing Civil Servants, while getting paid. That is what nepotism does. They are advisors who survives, because they are connected by blood, not by skills or paid by lobbyists to get hired in his cabinet. That is why at the current moment this is the titles of plenty people: Acting Director of EPA, Acting Secretary of Defence, Acting Attorney General, Acting Chief of Staff and an Acting Pentagon Secretary.

That is why the White House is in chaos. The government is looking foolish and terrible. That is because the President cannot rule himself out. He just blame others and fires them. If not get other people to fire them for him. Trump has started a trade-wars with tariffs, that is hitting the market. There are even reports of no export of soybeans to China. Which is a key market for this commodity, however, because of the tariff war started with steel and aluminium, are now hurting the market. The Stock Exchange is crashing and getting blown, there is lack of confidence in the markets and the wealthy doesn’t want invest in the erratic market, which the state has created by the trade-wars.

Trump has made this mess, he has closed the government as the Senate and Congress had voted over it. Agreed so, that the civil servants and state officials would get paid. However, the President didn’t care, because he doesn’t want to look weak to Conservative Commentators Ann Coulter, who said he was weak for accepting a deal without funding for a wall. A wall Mexico was supposed to pay for somehow. However, the President expect now the US taxpayers to pay for a fictional wall to serve the Southern Border. Which, no one at the Capitol want to give the old man, whose busy watching Fox & Friend, while he drinks doing Diet Coke and bitch about democrats on Twitter. Such a statesman. Nah, not really, but we all knew that by now.

Lets be clear, the whirlwind the US is in, because their own mistakes. They made the system and crowned this man their President. That he took it for granted and doesn’t serve them. Trump does this because of his ego and mismanaged judgment. The White House Cabinet is crappie, because he appointed them and later fired them. If not they resigned for various reasons, but never for honourable ones. As they should have done it for Charlottesville, Children in Cages and Prisons, Zero Tolerance Policy or even Drone Strikes in Yemen and Somalia without any transparency. However, they leaves for other things, because they want to salvage their legacy. Nevertheless, that train has left that station, as they all was enabling the President to do his despicable acts and policies without anyone stopping him.

President Trump will blame others for the financial crashing by his taxes levies, tariffs, trade-wars and other policies, which is making the world more unstable and lack of good trade. Even if he is supposed to be a genius. Everything he touches because worse. He is revising everything Barrack Obama did, without seeing the consequences or even thinking about who it hits. That is why there are more pain to see. Just as the innocent children are dying behind bars in the United States. That is the President fault, as his policy and his orders made it happen. He is guilty for the dying innocent children. That is the mere reality of what the United States has become.

That the wealthy are feeling a pinch, the elites are getting hurt. As they all had faith in Trump is ironic. As they should have seen it coming. He has been the snake-oil salesman for decades. He is proving that with how he runs the government itself.

The Shutdown of the government is a week old now or about so. Where the Trump is doing it over a fictional wall, a requiem of a racist dream. The President are risking wages, added more cost to the government of fan-fiction from the hyperbole white supremacists and their fear. That is who the man seeks support from, that is what he will be remembered for and also his mismanagement. Because even his close allies are screwing up like Mnuchin and his calls with banks before Christmas Eve. But, they are trying to cover-up for the mad-man in the Oval Office. Who cannot deliver and creating havoc on his own. He doesn’t own up to he, he will just fire the Fed Chairman and have someone acting their too.

That is why the President has an acting cabinet, into the worst Stock Market in ages, where the government is in a Shutdown, which will be long-lasting into January somewhere, maybe longer. Depending on the wall and how hard Trump tantrums will last. However, he will look foolish and he continues to hurt civilians and the ones serving the Republic over a tragic Greek tragedy. Something he wouldn’t get or understand. That is the reality.

US is a laughing stock and made so by the President. Who cannot keep himself coherent for a day. Sooner or later, even more of his decisions will back-fire. We just don’t them yet. But he will not enriching the Republic. No, he is on self-destructive mode and many are awaiting the Robert Mueller Report on the Collusion and Obstruction of Justice made the President. As Individual One will have to answer for his actions, at one point, just not while he is in Office. Peace.

White House Sack-Race Contines: John Kelly ousted, the enabler is now blocked!

John Kelly was hired as new Chief of Staff in the Trump Administration on the 27^th July 2017. He was first the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security, to become the clean-up boy within the Administration. Not that it has worked, as the man couldn’t bring stability or any sort of coherent acts together. More like another enabler of the President. That is who General Kelly will be remembered as now.

There been so many sacked or replaced in the White House since the November 2016, that the Trump Administration has a long sheet getting closer to a pamphlet. That is why this sort of sacking isn’t surprising, as he is supposed to leave by end of the year. That means by 2019, the administration will have their third Chief of Staff.

It was first Reince Priebus and now John Kelly. Whoever takes the post after these two, knows the issues within the Administration and it starts with the head. It is the Commander-In-Chief, the Executive or the President who is wasting people and using them like skittles.

I do not feel for sorry for any individual getting fired. They knew what they went into. They wanted power and get appointed to high offices. By a nonchalant and self-serving man, who has no care for anyone else, than himself. Just like is now hiring a former Fox News Hostess as the UN Ambassador after Nikki Haley. So, if he would hire someone from there wouldn’t be surprising at this point. He is having more of a game-show approach, than finding people out of merit for the positions. Even Ivanka or Kushner could get this one as he wants to keep the state in the family.

We know also now thanks to his statements what sort of man, Kelly really is, this was reported by Paul Waldman: “What all this adds up to is the insistence that immigrants are not us, and that they will never become truly American. Kelly might or might not be aware that it is precisely how his Irish ancestors were portrayed a century and a half ago, as uneducated brutes who brought nothing but crime and violence to America. Kelly is also of Italian descent; his maternal grandfather “never spoke a word of English and made his living peddling a fruit cart in East Boston,” according to an article last month in Politico. Yet he seems to have turned out okay” (…) “Finally, we should understand that while Kelly’s rhetoric might not be as inflammatory as that of the president, he has essentially the same perspective, and that perspective is now being put into action through the administration’s policies” (Paul Waldman – ‘The Plum Line – John Kelly’s terrible immigration lies’ 11.05.2018, link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/05/11/john-kellys-terrible-immigration-lies/?utm_term=.de15880d97b1).

Kelly is just following a long line of people who has shown their vicious side in the White House. Not that it is something new, but this Administration is really getting it out of people. If you want to loose your respect and people acknowledging you. Than, you are enabler who take a job at this White House. Trump will use you and take your pledges. There will be nothing left to remember or redeem, as your legacy will be stained. Just like Kelly has.

Not only has he been the General that kept Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility open and working directly to undermine the efforts of Obama to close it. He was the General in-charge of it. Therefore, we should understand, why he is such an ignorant man, whose preferences politically would be aligned with Trump. Just saying it more calmly, but having the same meaning.

We also saw his bad judgment when he described and lied about Frederica Wilson, which he did in October 2017, as he said this about her:

“And a congresswoman stood up, and in the long tradition of empty barrels making the most noise, stood up there and all of that and talked about how she was instrumental in getting the funding for that building, and how she took care of her constituents because she got the money, and she just called up President Obama, and on that phone call he gave the money — the $20 million — to build the building. And she sat down, and we were stunned. Stunned that she had done it. Even for someone that is that empty a barrel, we were stunned” – John Kelly (Ledyard King – ‘Video debunks John Kelly’s claim that Frederica Wilson took credit for FBI building funds’ 20.10.2017, link: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/10/20/chief-staff-kelly-falsely-accuses-rep-wilson-taking-credit-funding-fbi-building/784456001/).

So with him saying that about Congresswoman Wilson, the further reporting from Ledyard King states: “A video of the ceremony released Friday by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel shows that Wilson never took credit for getting the money, which was appropriated before she came to office. To the contrary, she gives a speech praising the FBI and the dead agents for which the building is named. She does take credit for, at the request of the FBI, rushing through in four weeks the naming of the building for the agents in time for the dedication ceremony: Benjamin P. Grogan and Jerry L. Dove” (Ledyard King – ‘Video debunks John Kelly’s claim that Frederica Wilson took credit for FBI building funds’ 20.10.2017, link: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/10/20/chief-staff-kelly-falsely-accuses-rep-wilson-taking-credit-funding-fbi-building/784456001/ ).

So, we see what the Oval Office and the President does to a man. He makes them little and disgraceful, lying and not apologizing for it. He went out and attacked Wilson, but he didn’t cover his story. As it wasn’t true, he did that with an open critic of the President. As a token of loyalty attacking her, but not with truth, but empty rhetoric. Just like his boss.

Who is up next, to take the job and become another piranha for Trump? Someone who doesn’t care about their legacy and want to show their true despicable attitude for a moment of power. Because, clearly, that is what this administration does to people. It is just inevitable.

John Kelly has proven that, he was supposed to be the adult in the room, instead he was the enabler of all the madness, the insincerity and deception done by this Administration. He didn’t soften or make things better, he didn’t make it worse either. It was just more of the same, the same rhetoric, the same policies and actions, which everyone see.

Kelly cannot run away from it, he can hope people forget, but not bank on it. Peace.

The White House Sack-Race Continues: Secretary of State Tillerson sacked, because Trump is a ‘moron’!

The former Exxon-Mobile CEO and Russian Friendly Businessman Rex Tillerson was lucky enough to have 13 months as the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State had just left from meeting with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta before his supposed travel to Western Africa and Sahel Region for the Security issues there, as well as the partner-states of the AFRICOM there. After visiting, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. Clearly, the Secretary never got the chance.

Not like the White House in this day and age, that people expect to have the positions for long. This is just over 30^th people who has left the West Wing since January 2017. The turnover rate of appointed officials is huge and insane. But that is the way the stable genius works apparently. I was skeptic to the appointment of him, he seemed like the guy to circumvent the sanctions and be able to bring Exxon-Mobile and Gazproom into business. To make sure the oil dealing could happen.

While the big-shot Rex Tillerson was fired, the same happen to the President’s own assistant John McEntee, who was escorted out. Together with the resignation of Communication Director Hope Hicks and Chief Economic Financial Advisor Gary Cohn. The last few days has been brutal in regards to staff. This is just a little group of the people who has left the building. The stability of the administration is such a pale state, you would be worried if a I-Hop would lose this much of staff and had to recruit and train. You would be worried as a costumer if you knew the turnover at the particular shop was this big.

Tillerson, a man of 13 months, what did he do? Other than getting ridicule and being mocked by the President. This happens hours after he was in Kenya, but also after commenting on the spy-scandal in the United Kingdom. Where Tillerson said the Russians was involved in the poisoning of the spy. This is something that was countering the White House. Because the White House will not directly blame the Russians. Hence, since Tillerson went outside his safe space, he now lost his job. That is how it looks like.

Somehow, when writing about the White House, the Russian involvement always come snickering out of the wood-works, or in the sense of the Trump Administration. Out of the Tanning machine on the second floor. Tillerson was unaware of the firing, just like former FBI director James Comey was, as he was in Los Angeles for function of some kind. Now Tillerson came home early to Washington, since he canceled parts of his Africa trip. Clearly, the pressing issues was there, but he couldn’t solve it or Trump had cheerios on his mind.

What we do know, he has somebody to exchange him with CIA’s Mike Pompeo. One of his favorites. We will wonder how long he will in Trump’s graces, since fires and hires willi-nilly and isn’t hesitating.

Tillerson didn’t deliver for his former oil-company, you can wonder what he has achieved. Since the State Department hasn’t hired the needed staff in many regions. Therefore, not getting the knowledge or relationships needed to deliver the program of the staff there. But we are forgetting, in the Trump Administration, it is only Trump that matters. Not the state, nothing else. Making America Going Apeshit. That is what is happening.

Know that the Trump administration has no currently functioning State Department. They have a new head, but he will be clueless for while. Not like after 13 months Tillerson achieved anything. The reason is Trump and the leadership he has, with is praising his ego and nothing else. Peace.

Most likely offending the Don with this statement, aye?

Opinion: Who will plead the fifth? Sorry, my bad, who want to be hired as the White House Communication Director now?

Yesterday, yet another White House Communication director resigned, the White House under the Presidency of Trump is weird. It is chaotic and this being bluntly. Now that the longest serving Communication Director Hope Hicks resigned, we know that the position isn’t any good. That is evident with the frequent changes of the position. Not weird as well, those incoherent messages of policy must be hectic for someone assigned to spread the information from there.

With that in mind that Michael Dubke, Sean Spicer and Anthony Scaramucci, all came and went. They all served in capacity, the one that we know the least about is Dubke, who was Priebus affiliate and worked in Right Wing Media in the past. Spicer came through the Republic party, while Scaramucci seemed more like a golfing-buddy turned apprentice at the White House. While the hiring of Hicks, was another fellow associate and employee directly from the Trump Organization.

Therefore, that she resigns is a sign of lost hope, after the public defence of boyfriend Rob Porter, and now questioned in the Russian Probe for 8 hours. Clearly, the pressure within the White House is hot. She was in an impossible position, where she couldn’t win. That was evident, with her history with Trump and her close association through business and campaigning. Therefore, if someone knows the real Trump, the man, the self-made legend in his own mind. Hicks would know by the years spent at the Trump Tower and by his side.

These other Communications Directors have not had this standing, they have not had the previous history, even if Scaramucci want to profess of his genuine friendship with him Like that is it, when he was hired and fired, quicker than toast of bread. It amazing that this shortly into his term, that he has 4 Communications Directors and so much changes of staff. It isn’t strange that many lacks Security Clearances and whatnot, they don’t get the time to even scrutinize the forms before the government agencies can dispense what sort of clearance they need or can get.

That Trump who promised to bring the best and brightest, clearly cannot pick them out of bucket, he just brings friends, cronies and family into it and hope they will solve the issues he creates. That is how it looks from the outside. It doesn’t look like a steady ship, it looks like it is sinking and with no moral authority, what so ever.

We can wonder if General John Kelly, the Chief of Staff will have any say in the newly open position or if any suitable candidate want to get there. By now it’s seemingly a position no one should want, because Trump destroy and deflect, lies and deceive anyone for his personal benefit. Therefore, if you want to walk on eggshells and trade his water, you should go there, but if you want a job worth having. Get hired somewhere else.

If there was someone out there who wanted this now, it must the likes of Katrina Pierson, Kayleigh McEnany or even Tomi Lahren. These are the ones who is suitable to be hired and fired, quickly one by one. Therefore, they can continue to spread the narrative and let Sarah Huckabee-Sanders continue to lie in public, just like her boss. It says a lot about the state of affairs, when individuals like these comes to mind, when you are thinking of someone to replace Hicks. Because any ordinary person doesn’t want to be in the line of fire, any ordinary person don’t want to be in a place where you know your days are numbered. It is just a matter of time, before your cut loose, just like the rest of them.

Now we can just wait and see, who will plead the fifth? Sorry, who will be the fifth Communication Director at the White House under President Trump. Peace.

White House Chief of Staff Memo from John Kelly to McGahn, Hagin, Sessions, Coats and Wray – “Re: Improvements to the Clearance Process” (16.02.2018)

Opinion: US Code might allow the White House to Appoint Trump Family Members, but it’s doesn’t make it less questionable!

“3 U.S. Code § 105 – Assistance and services for the President: (e) Assistance and services authorized pursuant to this section to the President are authorized to be provided to the spouse of the President in connection with assistance provided by such spouse to the President in the discharge of the President’s duties and responsibilities. If the President does not have a spouse, such assistance and services may be provided for such purposes to a member of the President’s family whom the President designates” (Cornell Law School).

I don’t know about you, but it’s just one of these days, where you see entitlement in the New York Gang or the Trump Administration. This was made and prepared for the President Donald J. Trump, as he was swearing-in and starting his term. Because the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), who is in-charge of checking and making the sure the personnel and staff is following the codes and procedures for their roles in government. Seriously, the OGE Lawyer worked the laws in his favor, even when I struggle to see it. My first question after reading the US Code 105 Title 5(d), did the President loose his wife? Therefore, because of his tragic loss, he needed counsel from son-in-law Jared Kushner and oldest daughter Ivanka Trump inside the White House. How can you spell the code wrong, “If the President does not have a spouse”. True she was in New York the first months of the Presidency. Still, she was still his spouse, meaning that “he had”. But before I rant, take a look into key parts of the reasoning for the appointments of his family inside the White House!

“Section 3110 of title 5, also known as the anti-nepotism statute, states that “[a] public official may not appoint, employ, promote, advance, or advocate for appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement, in or to a civilian position in the agency in which he is serving or over which he exercises jurisdiction or control any individual who is a relative of the public official.” 5 U.S.C. § 3110(b). The statute expressly identifies the President as one of the “public official[s]” subject to the prohibition, and a son-in-law is a covered “relative.” Id. § 3110(a)(2), (a)(3). Moreover, under Article II of the Constitution, the President exercises “jurisdiction or control” over the White House Office as well as over the rest of the Executive Branch. See Myers v. United States, 272 U.S. 52, 163–64 (1926); Inspector General Legislation, 1 Op. O.L.C. 16, 17 (1977). Less certain is whether the White House Office is an “agency”—a term that section 3110 defines to include an “Executive agency,” thereby calling up the definition of “Executive agency” generally applicable to title 5, see 5 U.S.C. § 3110(a)(1)(A); id. § 105. But whether or not the White House Office meets this definition (a subject to which we will return in Part II, infra), we believe that the President’s special hiring authority in 3 U.S.C. § 105(a) permits him to make appointments to the White House Office that the anti-nepotism statute might otherwise forbid” (Koffsky, P:2, 2017).

“A President wanting a relative’s advice on governmental matters therefore has a choice: to seek that advice on an unofficial, ad hoc basis without conferring the status and imposing the responsibilities that accompany formal White House positions; or to appoint his relative to the White House under title 3 and subject him to substantial restrictions against conflicts of interest. Cf. AAPS, 997 F.2d at 911 n.10 (declining, after holding that the First Lady qualifies as a “full-time officer or employee” of the government under FACA, to decide her status under the conflict of interest statutes). In choosing his personal staff, the President enjoys an unusual degree of freedom, which Congress found suitable to the demands of his office. Any appointment to that staff, however, carries with it a set of legal restrictions, by which Congress has regulated and fenced in the conduct of federal officials” (Koffsky, P: 16-17, 2017).

I will not jumping jacks around this OGE Lawyer Koffsky, but office that is run by the President is an Executive Office, that issues Executive Orders and Executive Memorandums. That if followed by current law and within provisions within the state because legal and acts that all citizens has to follow. To subject the White House into a sublime role of the state is demeaning, even if he needs support of the branches of government like the Courts and Congress. But that doesn’t make the White House into a playhouse for playboy bunnies, its the place where executive orders and legal minds meet to determine the future of the Republic. It’s insulting that Koffsky is belittling the office and the White House, so it fits legally President role and his ability to appoint family members.

Yes, the President is allowed to seek advice and that ad-hock with family members. That is without doubt, but that is different ones in while speak with an uncle in Louisiana before making a decision that matters for both United States and the World itself. There is problematic to hire family into the White House, as their supposed restrictions and the boundaries of their roles. Since the family bond will not be cut, but be ever present in the decision making.

That Jared Kushner is a Public Official is clear with his title and responsibilities, as a Senior Advisor to the President, who is working on American Innovation, Peace in the Middle East and combating the Opioid crisis in the United States. Ivanka Trump is by title the Assistance to the President. Both of them has had a public role and been acting as Public Officials. They have been there, traveling with the President and even taking his place when he was tired or wanted to relax. Like Ivanka Trump did during the G-20 in July 2017, when the not-elected family member took the seat G20 Leaders Table. So her assistance goes further than ordinary public officials. Since, this sort of role would usually end on Secretary of State and the Vice-President. However, it isn’t the case in the matter of Trump Family.

“Enforcement. While the statutory language bars the appointment of relatives as well as the acceptance of such appointments, enforcement of the prohibition may be limited. The remedy expressly provided for violating this prohibition states that the appointed individual “is not entitled to pay, and money may not be paid from the Treasury as pay” for that person. The statute itself does not require nor does it provide expressly for removal of the individual from the federal civilian position. As noted above, the provision was directed at stopping the practice of placing relatives on the government payroll, and thus the law assures that a relative so appointed may not be paid from federal funds for any such service. The statute likewise does not provide a penalty for the public official who appointed the individual. However, it may be noted that for some rank-and-file positions, not of a confidential or policy making nature, the appointment of a relative may involve a “prohibited personnel practice” by the appointing official” (CRS Report & Analysis, 2016).

Here is another one giving leeway for the possible hiring of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, that is if they are in their roles unpaid and with ranks. Even, that is an issue with the role of the Senior Advisor Kushner and all his positions, even the clearances he needs to be able to fulfill his duty at the White House. Ivanka has also been part of the close-knitted leadership of his fathers. She been part of meetings and such. So both of them has been have been close to confidential material most likely, as they work so close with their relative, the President.

Just like covered in People Magazine in January 2017: “Though Kushner’s appointment does not require Senate confirmation, it is a controversial one: Anti-nepotism laws forbid the hiring of relatives to Cabinet positions, but are less clear on whether they can be appointed to White House staff roles. In American history, anti-nepotism laws are actually a relatively recent development: They were put into place in 1967 by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson not long after one of his predecessor’s appointments raised eyebrows” (Pearl, 2017).

So even if the law and the Anti-nepotism law are put in place to accept family members in White House roles. Still, the nepotism is in full affect. There is no half-step on that. The United States should have a hard time accepting the appointment of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump as Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President. All of this has entitled them and given them a special role in the Executive Office of the United States. What is clear by the U.S. Code 105, title 5(d) and will always stand out for the provision in the code that said this: “If the President does not have a spouse, such assistance and services may be provided for such purposes to a member of the President’s family whom the President designates”.

The President has a spouse, his third wife, Melanie, therefore he doe not need such assistance and services. Instead, they are using the titles in the anti-nepotism statutes, they can most likely not be as valuable as these words. However, Koffsky wrote this: “or to appoint his relative to the White House under title 3 and subject him to substantial restrictions against conflicts of interest”. These words are saying that its set substantial restrictions to the office, even as the President has let them be a vital part of his term, Kushner is nearly saving half of America and the Middle-East. Ivanka is publicly part abroad and in Washington. It’s not like they are restricted in that manner, but creating conflicts of interests. That should worry anyone caring about the honest of the public office.

Therefore it was striking what Jason Chafetz said in January 2017: “According to Josh Chafetz, a professor at Cornell Law School and an expert in constitutional law and legislative procedure, the White House is not regulated in the same way as other administrative agencies. “The bigger issue for the administration is not so much about the technical bounds of these nepotism laws, but it just looks bad,” Chafetz said. “I don’t think there’s anything legal that can be done in terms of the appointment. It just looks like there’s a pattern of cronyism that has emerged, especially in conjunction with the cabinet appointments.” (Delkic & Mallin, 2017).

It’s enough. Peace.

Reference:

Koffsky, Daniel L. – ‘Application of the Anti-Nepotism Statute to a Presidential Appointment in the White House Office’ (20.01.2017)

Cornell Law School – ‘U.S. Code › Title 3 › Chapter 2 › § 105’ link: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/105

CRS Report & Analysis – ‘The Federal Anti-Nepotism Statute: Limits on Appointing, Hiring, and Promoting Relatives’ (12.01.2016) link: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/nepotism.pdf

Delkic, Melina & Mallin, Alex – ‘Nepotism Laws Don’t Apply to Jared Kushner Appointment, DOJ Says’ (21.01.2017) link: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/nepotism-laws-apply-jared-kushner-appointment-doj/story?id=44951811

Pearl, Diana – ‘Donald Trump’s Son-in-Law Has Hillary Clinton to Thank for Skirting JFK-Inspired Nepotism Rules’ (11.01.2017) link: http://people.com/politics/jared-kushner-nepotism-laws-donald-trump/

Trump is the Golfing President!

“Boredom forces you to ring people you haven’t seen for eighteen years and halfway through the conversation you remember why you left it so long. Boredom means you start to read not only mail-order catalogues but also the advertising inserts that fall on the floor. Boredom gives you half a mind to get a gun and go berserk in the local shopping centre, and you know where this is going. Eventually, boredom means you will take up golf.” – Jeremy Clakson

Donald J. Trump, the American President has been President only for 196 days. Not so long and has had a rocky road. I am quickly and briefly looking into the high-energy and not taking vacations. Something he promised the electorate and the citizens of United States, just like everything else. He lied and keep lying. First take some quotes and where he was shaming his predecessor Barrack Obama, before we looks into his extensive time-offs since getting into office. Clearly, he is playing a lot of golf. The stats and numbers of that is taken from Trumpgolfcount.com, which is page you should check-out if you don’t believe me.

What President Trump said on the 13^th November 2016:

“When Stall told Trump it is $400,000 per year, he said, “No, I’m not going to take the salary. I’m not taking it.” (…) “There’s just so much to be done,” Trump said. “So I don’t think we’ll be very big on vacations, no.” (CNN Wire, 2016).

On criticizing Obama for vacations:

“Trump has long criticized President Obama for his yearly summer and winter breaks. “He takes more vacations than any human being I’ve ever seen,” Trump told Fox News host Greta Van Susteren in 2011. “It sends a bad message. Here we have a country that really is going to hell in a handbasket. . . . And we have a president that’s constantly, whether it’s Martha’s Vineyard or someplace else, constantly on vacation.” (Tracy, 2016).

So the man who complained and nagged on Obama, are clearly a giant hypocrite and is very low-energy. He doesn’t have the stamina or the will-power to stay in the White House. Certainly, he loves his estates and golf-courses more than actually working on policies and executive orders.

Numbers until now at Mar-A-Lago!

In Miami Mar-A-Lago he has spent 25 days. That is over 3 weeks at the Miami Golf-Course and private club. He has taken 7 flights there and is estimated cost of $ 14,392,000. That is the estimated of the flights down from Washington D.C. not the cost of local reinforcement of police, the cost of Secret Service and all the other efforts to secure the President.

Numbers until now at Trump National Bedminister:

In another club he owns and in New Jersey, the President has spent 11 days at Bedminister. He has had 6 flights costing the public tax-payer $ 3,598,000 in flight charges. That is not taking the extra cost of Secret Service, other security officials like Police and local authorities securing the Trump National Bedminister. This is something that would cost the New Jersey state extra, just like the visits to Miami and Florida State. At the 31^st of July 2017, the President had already been golfing for 41 days in his now 196 days into office.

So with this in mind, as plans to spend 17 more days at the Trump National Bedminister in New Jersey. This means the count when is done is 48 days of total 212, which means that ¼ of his days in office by 212 has been spent on a self-owned golf-club. So that he was bashing others for their vacations and playing golf. Was so, so wrong, since he is himself worse and the biggest orange hypocrite in history.

This is how the Boston Globe staff describe his vacation place:

“Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, they noted, is located in Somerset County, one of the tonier sections of New Jersey that are not visible from the New Jersey Turnpike” (…) “Trump’s property cost him a cool $35 million in 2002 (expensive!),” they wrote. “(A)nd … membership at the Trump-owned golf course there reportedly costs $300,000 (too rich for our blood!)” (Fox News, 2017).

So he is again at golf-club, who seems overprice and expensive, but that wasn’t surprising. Clearly, the amount of time spent on his own properties and his own companies. Are showing how he plans to spend public funding on himself and his businesses, that is still owned by family and controlled by the family. While other Presidents has sold their businesses or put them in blind trust, not like Trump, who has given Eric Trump and Donald Trump Junior the control. So he can have it all close and tight-knit.

But he is a lazy President, a low-energy and a weak one. Since he is using one-fourth of the time on the green and not in the office. That is why there is no legislation victory or written that could get both chambers to win from the President. That is why the Tax Plan is mere a Christmas Wish-list, than actually policy. Koch Brothers should get their greed-on and their drink-on since it is their wishes that will be fulfilled.

President Trump could have worked for Taylor-Made and not for the White House. Since he spends so little time there. Peace.

Reference:

CNN Wire – ‘Donald Trump: Not big on vacations, no salary as president’ (13.11.2016) link: http://myfox8.com/2016/11/13/donald-trump-no-big-vacations-no-salary-as-president/

Fox News – ‘Trump vacation site sparks feud between New England, New Jersey’ (05.08.2017) link:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/08/05/trump-vacation-site-sparks-feud-between-new-england-new-jersey.html

Tracy, Jan – ‘Ever untraditional, Donald Trump elects to pass on vacations’ (21.08.2016) link:https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/08/21/donald-trump-keeps-busy-work-pace-averse-vacations/vsZK55k2we8AkJP2CpMVmK/story.html