America Rising Announces Multiple FOIAs Targeting The Politicization Of Obama's Ethics Office

America Rising Announces Multiple FOIAs Targeting The Politicization Of Obama’s Ethics Office

In light of the ongoing controversy swirling around Walter Shaub, head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE), America Rising is filing multiple Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) to understand better what partisan politics are afoot at OGE. (1.11.17 OGE FOIA request) by America Rising PAC on Scribd This FOIA, which America Rising sent […]

January 11, 2017

In light of the ongoing controversy swirling around Walter Shaub, head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE), America Rising is filing multiple Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) to understand better what partisan politics are afoot at OGE.

(1.11.17 OGE FOIA request) by America Rising PAC on Scribd

This FOIA, which America Rising sent this afternoon, seeks communications between Director Shaub and the offices of some of the Democratic Senators who are most committed to obstructing Cabinet nominations, including Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren.

Additionally, America Rising will be filing three separate FOIAs requesting all communications between Obama’s Ethics office and the “designated Agency Ethics Official” in the Education, State, and Health and Human Services Department.

In recent weeks, Shaub has inserted himself into the government transition process in a very public way. With the attention Shaub attracted naturally came scrutiny. In December, an investigation by NPR uncovered that Shaub himself directed the bizarre series of partisan tweets targeting Donald Trump.

The NPR article highlights how this was a “controversy” because “the OGE doesn’t typically air its positions publicly.” Yet Shaub’s actions make much more sense when you learn that he’s an Obama donor, who according to the Washington Examiner also has a history of ignoring Hillary Clinton’s ethical lapses.

In Senator Schumer’s statement after Shaub’s letter this weekend, he proclaimed that “the American people deserve to know that these Cabinet nominees have a plan to avoid any conflicts of interest.” In that same spirit, we believe that the American people also deserve to know if President Obama’s ethics office is operating in a fair manner, untainted by partisan politics. Our FOIA requests are a step in that direction.