Here we go again with the nonstop corruption in this administration. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/u...

Trump Seeks a Boost for Hemp That Would Benefit a Top Aide’s Family

At the White House’s request, senators tucked a change sought by the hemp industry into a crucial spending bill. It would benefit the son-in-law of Susie Wiles, the president’s chief of staff.

nytimes.com

The so-called weaponization fund was corrupt and abusive, and abandoning it is good for democracy. But that doesn't change the fact that Todd Blanche has been involved in many efforts to weaponize the Justice Department against the President's enemies and use it for the President's personal benefit.

Blanche’s AG nomination back on track after he formally rescinds payout fund

Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) had threatened to vote against Todd Blanche’s nomination if their concerns were not addressed.

washingtonpost.com

Donald Trump and those who work for him aggressively pushing companies to give millions for pet projects that are important to him, while the president is also directly involved in decisions that affect those companies, is extreme corruption. We should not accept this as the way things are.

Exclusive | ‘The Boss Wants This Money’: Inside Trump’s Unprecedented Fundraising Operation

Meredith O’Rourke, nicknamed ‘princess of darkness,’ carries out the president’s desire to wring hundreds of millions from companies for his projects.

wsj.com

If you were wondering whether FIFA could get even more corrupt...

FIFA plan for Kushner-backed $20 billion operation to run World Cup meets fury from Europe's UEFA

FIFA President Gianni Infantino plans to create a $20 billion company running the World Cup with private investors including the Kushner family.

apnews.com

Definitely no ethics or corruption issues to see here...

Trump’s sons invest heavily in defense tech as father’s administration pours money in

Most investments by funds linked to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have taken place since their father’s reelection.

washingtonpost.com

One factor in President Trump's struggles to untangle the current morass in the Middle East is the complex relationship with Saudi Arabia, which has strong ideas about what should happen. He'd be better positioned to deal with that if he didn't have large financial entanglements with the country.

How the Iran War Ignited a Clash Between Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince

nytimes.com

Just because it has somehow become commonplace for this President to make billions while serving and using his office to benefit his businesses does not mean that we should ever think it is okay.

Trump Pulled in at Least $2 Billion After Returning to the White House

nytimes.com

The lawyers and civil servants who somehow okayed the president using a $400 million airplane given to him by a foreign government with every reason to want to influence him and receive favorable treatment should really check their ethics. Disgraceful.

White House says goodbye to an Air Force One as it prepares for Qatar jet

White House officials say goodbye to the old Air Force One as President Trump prepares to accept his new jet from Qatar.

washingtonpost.com

The Department of Justice using its investigative authority to go after not only perceived political enemies of the president, but private citizens who dared to hold him accountable for wrongdoing is dangerous to democracy and deeply unethical. Agents and prosecutors should examine their actions.

DOJ probes Democratic-allied nonprofit that helped pay E. Jean Carroll’s legal bills

The investigation centers on statements Carroll made during a deposition in her civil lawsuit against President Donald Trump, in which a jury found that he had sexually assaulted and defamed her.

washingtonpost.com

The president’s employees agreeing to a settlement with him to award $1.8 billion to his allies, potentially even those who sought to violently overturn an election, and protecting him and his family from accountability. Unethical. Indefensible. Supported by lies.

Trump and Top Officials Defend $1.8 Billion Fund With Inaccurate Claims

nytimes.com

An important piece from @protectdemocracy.org's Justin Florence and Justin Vail on disgorgement of money administration figures have made from illegal corruption, an ethical approach to accountability that can succeed even now and is less likely to fuel the cycle of retaliation.

Opinion | There's a remedy for White House corruption that Trump pardons can't touch

Justin Florence and Justin Vail: Simply put, under a legal principle called disgorgement, you don’t get to keep what you stole.

ms.now

Donald Trump's deal with the IRS to create a $1.8 billion fund to pay off his political allies, particularly those who engaged in the Jan. 6 insurrection, is dangerous and corrupt. Surely there was pressure, but those at the DOJ and IRS who signed off on this have a lot to answer for ethically.

Trump’s deal to drop suit against IRS creates $1.8B ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’

The deal, laid out in a document signed by acting attorney general Todd Blanche, could result in taxpayer payouts to the president’s allies.

washingtonpost.com

Religious leaders should consider whether participating in a massive event with the administration that presents an exclusionary, nationalist, and politicized version of religion in America is an ethical way to approach their responsibilities as clergy. Hard to see how it could be.

White House to host 9-hour prayer festival focused on Christian roots of U.S.

Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio and Mike Johnson will speak at the event, which centers on the idea that the founders wanted the U.S. to be explicitly Christian.

washingtonpost.com

Prosecutors systematically charging perceived enemies of the president with legally dubious offenses is deeply unethical and devastating to our system of checks and balances and the rule of law. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

DOJ charges Southern Poverty Law Center over paid informants

The civil rights group is being investigated over how it has sought to infiltrate extremist groups, its CEO says, adding that it “will not be intimidated.”

washingtonpost.com

The president soliciting large amounts of money for something that's very important to him from companies that are enormously effected by his decisions creates massive ethical problems, for the president and for the companies. I spoke with @newrepublic.com's @gregsargent.bsky.social.

Trump Library Saga Takes Dark Turn: Where Did Millions in Funding Go?

Four huge media conglomerates forked over $63 million in “settlements” earmarked for Trump’s presidential library. Democrats are trying to track that money—and the latest developments don’t inspire co...

newrepublic.com

Donald Trump is hosting another dinner for those who have invested large sums in his meme coin, again almost certainly including business people who are seeking to influence him. A craven example of influence peddling, and a clear example of why we so need ethical leaders in business right now.

Trump Is Hosting Another Meme Coin Gala—The Price for VIP Access Is Down 90%

Those seeking VIP treatment at the next Trump meme coin event didn't need to spend nearly as much as last time. Here's a breakdown of the numbers.

finance.yahoo.com

The proposed Donald Trump presidential library appears to be shaping up as a monument to grift and excess. Companies considering donating to this project, hoping for policy benefits, should think hard about the ethical implications of this kind of nakedly transactional gift.

Column | The Trump presidential library would be a giant tower of grift

An AI-generated video, with glitches, suggests the president will be raising billions of dollars for a new Trump tower.

washingtonpost.com

At the district court level, most large law firms stayed silent in the cases about the administration's targeting of law firms. Now the cases are up on appeal, and I hope more firms will show ethical leadership by making clear that this kind of targeting is unethical and unacceptable.

Justice Department Denounces Federal Judges in Fight Against Law Firms

nytimes.com

Targeting law firms for employing lawyers or representing clients and positions the President does not like is fundamentally unethical. The government started to back away from this, but arbitrarily changed its mind again, indicating that public ethics and the rule of law are still under attack.

In quick reversal, DOJ seeks to continue Trump's battle with law firms

The switch came after the Justice Department told a federal appeals court it would drop its battle over executive orders involving law firms.

nbcnews.com

Longtime FASPE faculty member Eric Muller, represented by FASPE alum Rachel Grossman and HWG colleagues, argues in an important amicus brief in the SCOTUS birthright citizenship case that the US citizenship of babies born in internment camps is instructive.

I'm excited to be at Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE), an innovative organization examining the decisions of professionals in Nazi Germany to encourage ethical decision-making by professionals today. Check us out at www.linkedin.com/company/faspe.