An ethics lawyer in President Donald
Trump’s White House has resigned after spending nearly a year working on
financial disclosure issues.
James Schultz said he had discussed the matter of
his departure with Don McGahn, lead White House counsel, “very early on”.
“I was interested in continuing with private
practice and saw this as a tremendous opportunity to go serve and get things up
and running and the plan was to move on about this time”, Mr Schultz said.
He is moving to law firm Cozen O’Connor in
Philadelphia, where he previously worked prior to the White House position.
Mr Schultz said his resignation late last week was
not related to the ongoing alleged
ethics violations of members of the Trump administration, including advisors Kellyanne Conway and Jared Kushner, husband of Ivanka Trump.
ethics violations of members of the Trump administration, including advisors Kellyanne Conway and Jared Kushner, husband of Ivanka Trump.
“These are typically year to about 18-months type
positions,” Mr Schultz told Politico.
Mr Schultz also took a shot at members of the news
media, saying they “unfairly criticise this administration... even when they’re
not justified”.
The lawyer said the White House counsel’s office has
been more “onerous” and gone beyond legal requirements for staff divestments
and recusals.
He also said he would be among the host of former
administration officials available for comment on the ongoing controversies.
“I will be out, but I don’t plan to make a career
out of being a pundit on TV,” he said, but that it would “be something I’d be
willing to do”.
Mr Schultz noted he would not take the path of
Office of Government Ethics former director Walter
Shaub, who is someone “out there trying to make a name for themselves in
that space by being critics in order to set themselves up for other positions
down the road”.
Mr Shaub recently filed a complaint against Ms
Conway’s comments made on television regarding who to vote for in the 12
December special election in Alabama, pitting Republican Roy Moore against
Democrat Doug Jones.
“Nobody knew who Walter Shaub was before [Mr Trump]
became president ... He immediately thrust himself into the limelight instead
of being helpful on the issues where he could have been. It was more about him
than about ethics,” Mr Schultz said.
In response, Mr Shaub said: ”I wish Jim well. I hope
he’s better at his next job, or at least lasts a full year in it.”
Mr Schultz is not prohibited from contacting federal
agencies on behalf of others within a year of his departure because his salary
of $140,000 (£105,000) does not fall within the applicable federal rule. He has
also taken a pledge from becoming a registered lobbyist for at least five years
and never becoming a registered foreign lobbyist.
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