US House Oversight Committee Must Invite Ethics Chief to Testify - Lawmaker

The House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform should invite the Director of the US Office of Government Ethics Walter Shaub to testify following his resignation on Thursday, committee ranking member Elijah Cummings said in a letter to Chairman Trey Gowdy.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier on Thursday, Shaub submitted his resignation letter to US President Donald Trump. Shaub said in a separate statement issued by the Campaign Legal Center, his future employer, that in working with the Trump administration it became clear that the US government must make improvements to its existing ethics program.

"I will urge you to convene a hearing about the need for stronger ethics regulations, and to request that you invite Director Walter M. Shaub, Jr. of the Office of Government Ethics to testify," Cummings said. "A public hearing to hear from Director Shaub would be productive and would fall squarely within our Committee’s mission."

Cummings added that the US public deserves to hear about the challenges Shaub faced in his position and the reforms he believes would strengthen the Government Ethics Office.

Since taking office, Trump has come under fire by the OGE and lawmakers for allegedly not adequately divesting business interests that conflict with government responsibilities. In January, Shaub said that Trump’s divestiture plan to resolve business conflicts of interests did not adequately meet ethical standards for US public servants.