The outgoing chief of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) didn't mince words about what he calls President Donald Trump's "profiting from the presidency," in an interview with The New York Times.
Walter Shaub's last day as head of the OGE is Tuesday and he's calling for major changes in federal law to combat what he calls the historic crisis brought on by Trump and his administration.
"It's hard for the United States to pursue international anti-corruption and ethics initiatives when we're not even keeping our own side of the street clean. It affects our credibility," Shaub told the Times. "I think we are pretty close to a laughingstock at this point."
Trump spent the weekend at a golf course that was hosting the U.S. Women's Open, the organizers of which he reportedly threatened to sue two years ago if they tried to move the event.
Further, Trump has visited one of his properties 54 days since taking office, the Times reported.
"It creates the appearance of profiting from the presidency," Shaub told the Times.
The White House refuted Shaub's claims, though misspelled his name in its statement to the Times.
"The truth is, Mr. Schaub is not interested in advising the executive branch on ethics. He's interested in grandstanding and lobbying for more expansive powers in the office he holds," spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said.
Shaub, who's taking a new job with the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center, also told the Times he rejects Democrats who tried to pounce on his views as a way to attack Trump and his administration.
"I don't like the fair-weather friends who are supportive of the ethics program only as a political tool against this present administration," Shaub said. "My goal from the start has been to advance the ethics program, not a political goal."
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