The media is properly focusing upon Trump’s efforts to destroy the western alliance and cozy up to Putin. While that happens, the corrupt activities of the Trump crime family and his corrupt cabinet members takes a back seat. Earlier today, I wrote a diary about how the Inspector General found that while Tom Price was trying to deprive Americans of healthcare because it is too expensive, he was busy spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on private trips: IG: Tom Price Owes $341,000 for Travel. That included a $15,000 flight from DC to Philadelphia.
A few hours have gone by since that blog. So, of course, there is another finding of corruption with the Trump Administration. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross agreed to divest certain stocks, but reneged on his commitment. The acting director of the Office of Government Ethics found:
“Your failure to divest created the potential for a serious criminal violation on your part and undermined public confidence.”
Wilbur Ross Says He Will Sell Stock After Watchdog Warns of Potential for Criminal Violation
Having been caught (the true sin in the Trump Administration), he now says he will do what he had been required to do all along.
Ross claims that his violations were inadvertent. You would have to be the most naive person in the world to believe him. For example, when journalists fulfilled their professional responsibility by calling Ross to get comments on his unethical ties to a company called Navigator, Ross immediately realized that when the story was published, the stock price would fall. So he used his knowledge of the upcoming bad publicity to short the stock! (If you don’t participate in the stock market, a “short sale” is the reverse of a stock purchase. A short seller borrows stock and sells it, but has an obligation to repurchase the stock. The short seller profits by first selling the stock at a high price, and then buying it back at a low price.)
Ross shorted the stock based upon this non-public information. When the article about Ross’ own shady conduct appeared, the stock price fell, and Ross made money. Nice way to pick up some extra bucks from your unethical conduct!
My favorite part of the story, however, is Ross’ defense:
In a response in June, Mr. Ross said that the information the reporter had contacted him about was not “market-moving” and that making money was not the goal of the short sale.
How stupid does he think we are?
In the Trump Administration, the rules of ethics are (1) while you are stealing as much as you can, don’t get caught, and (2) when you get caught—deny, deny, deny.
A mere denial is enough to exonerate you before Trump’s base. (Putin said he didn’t hack, Roy Moore said he didn’t do it, Donnie Jr. said the meeting was about adoption and he never told daddy, and on and on and on.
In a normal news cycle, this would be a top story. But the Trump crime family and its merry band of accomplices are fortunate to be able to hide behind a head criminal who is destroying our alliances and being complicit with our enemies abroad, while committing atrocities at home. What a lucky group.
Drain the Swamp.