Rep. Jason Chaffetz — who, as head of the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, is really interested in investigating Hillary Clinton — doesn't seem to keen on looking into President-elect Donald Trump's looming conflicts of interest. That's making House Democrats really upset.
"It has now been two weeks since Ranking Member Cummings wrote to you requesting that the Oversight Committee immediately begin reviewing President-elect Donald Trump's financial arrangements in order to identify and protect against conflicts of interest," Democrats said in a letter to the Utah congressman. "Although you have stated publicly that you will hold Mr. Trump to the same standards as President Obama and Secretary Clinton, you have not responded to Ranking Member Cummings' letter, and you have not taken steps to conduct basic oversight of these unprecedented challenges."
The letter later adds, "we ask that the Oversight Committee begin its work as soon as possible."
Democrats drew attention to problems — including Trump not yet liquidating his assets and putting them into a blind trust, the role of Trump's children in advising him on policy even as they continue to run his business empire, his 111 companies doing business in 18 countries (including one, Turkey, in which Trump admitted to having "a little conflict of interest"), and alleged improprieties in meetings with the president-elect and his daughter Ivanka Trump with the prime minister of Japan, a group of Indian business developers, and the president of Argentina.
In November Chaffetz told Politico that Trump was “moving in the right direction. And he needs to instill the confidence that he’s more than arm’s length away." He also added, "The only obligation he has is that under the law. There are public perceptions that I’m sure they’re keenly aware of."
Earlier that month, Chaffetz told The Washington Post that he wanted to continue his investigations into Hillary Clinton's private email server.
“It would be totally remiss of us to dismiss [the email investigation] because she’s not going to be president,” Chaffetz told The Washington Post.
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