Trump's Ethics: Did He Break The Law?

There have been several accusations of Donald Trump breaking ethics laws. In November 2024, Trump was accused of breaking the law by not signing an ethics pledge as part of the transition agreements required to unlock national security information and resources for a smooth transfer of power. Despite the Presidential Transition Act requiring a president-elect to sign a pact to implement and enforce an ethics code, Trump missed the deadlines and refused to commit to a smooth transition. In January 2025, the Trump Organization issued an ethics pledge for the president-elect's second term, which was criticized by ethics lawyers as insufficient. The pledge included appointing an outside lawyer and limiting Trump's access to detailed financial information. However, it did not include a halt to new international real estate deals, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

Trump's refusal to sign an ethics pledge

In 2024, President-elect Donald Trump missed the October 1 deadline to submit a legally required ethics pledge, which stated that he would avoid conflicts of interest and other ethical concerns while in office. This refusal to sign the pledge raised concerns about hampering the smooth transition to power. While Trump's transition team had drafted an ethics code and a conflict-of-interest statement for its staff, these documents did not include the required language explaining how Trump himself would address conflicts of interest during his presidency.

Trump's refusal to sign the ethics pledge is consistent with his administration's attitude of doing the bare minimum required by law and disregarding ethical norms. According to Norm Eisen, Obama's former ethics czar, Trump made a mockery of ethics by setting a corrupt tone at the top.

Trump's refusal to sign the pledge also resulted in his transition team being behind on key briefings from federal agencies. Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, emphasised the importance of access to information for a smooth transition, stating that "mistakes will cost us a great deal."

In one of his final acts as president, Trump released current and former members of his administration from the terms of their ethics pledge, demonstrating once again his failure to fulfil his 2016 campaign promise to "drain the swamp." Trump's ethics policy, instituted at the beginning of his presidency, proved to be largely ineffective due to loopholes and a lack of enforcement.

Trump's refusal to sign the ethics pledge and his subsequent release of his administration from the pledge's terms highlight his disregard for ethical standards and his failure to address conflicts of interest during his presidency.

Trump's transition team's delay in filing a required ethics pledge

In 2024, President-elect Donald Trump's transition team missed a series of deadlines to file a required ethics pledge with the Biden administration. The Presidential Transition Act requires a president-elect to sign a pact to implement and enforce an ethics code for the transition. This pledge is designed to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure a smooth transfer of power.

Senator Elizabeth Warren accused Trump of “breaking the law” by failing to meet the deadlines of September 1 and October 1. She stated that "Donald Trump and his transition team are already breaking the law. I would know because I wrote the law. Incoming presidents are required to prevent conflicts of interest and sign an ethics agreement. This is what illegal corruption looks like."

Trump's delay in signing the ethics pledge had consequences for his transition team's access to key briefings from federal agencies. Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, emphasised the importance of such information, stating that it is necessary "to get up to speed about the threat environment that we’re operating in."

Eventually, Trump's team submitted an ethics plan, but it notably excluded provisions addressing the president-elect's conflicts of interest. Valerie Smith Boyd, director of the Center for Presidential Transition, confirmed that "there does not appear to be a provision addressing the requirement for the president-elect to address his conflicts of interest."

Trump's refusal to sign the ethics pledge and address his conflicts of interest raised concerns about his commitment to transparency, accountability, and public trust. It also set a concerning tone for his second administration's approach to ethical standards.

Trump's dismissal of ethics obligations

In 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren accused then President-elect Donald Trump of violating a key ethics law for incoming administrations. She claimed that Trump and his transition team had not signed an ethics pledge intended to prevent conflicts of interest.

Trump missed the deadlines of September 1 and October 1, 2024, to submit a series of transition agreements, including one related to ethics, to unlock national security information and resources to ensure a smoother changeover.

Trump's refusal to sign the pledge raised concerns about corruption and the potential for illegal corruption. His hesitancy to sign the agreements was speculated to be driven by his intent to circumvent fundraising rules and a general aversion to ethics rules designed to prevent conflicts of interest.

In January 2025, the Trump Organization unveiled a new ethics plan that it claimed would limit Trump's involvement in management decisions and other aspects of the business while he was in office. However, ethics experts remained sceptical, noting that the plan did not address the constitutional requirement for the president not to receive profits or benefits from foreign governments.

Trump's alleged corruption and greed

In Timothy K. Kuhner's book, *Tyranny of Greed: Trump, Corruption, and the Revolution to Come*, he argues that Trump is Mammon, a demon who rose to power because the United States failed to confront its mounting problem with corruption and greed.

Trump's refusal to divest from his global business empire and his frequent visits to his hotels and golf courses as president have also been cited as examples of his alleged corruption and greed. During his term, Trump visited his properties 547 times, including 145 visits to Mar-a-Lago and 328 visits to his golf courses.

In addition, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington detailed about 3,400 conflicts of interest in a 2020 report, and CREW researchers tracked conflicts of interest resulting from interactions between the Trump Organization and the government.

Trump's administration was marked by self-interest and profiteering, with influence from corporate lobbyists, foreign actors, and special interests. For example, foreign officials from Switzerland, Hungary, Afghanistan, Italy, Denmark, Peru, Colombia, and Sweden visited Mar-a-Lago, and special interest groups likely spent more than $13 million at Trump properties.

Trump's post-presidency plans remain uncertain, but he is expected to continue benefiting from his time in office.

Trump's refusal to divest from his global business empire

During his first presidential campaign, Donald Trump refused to divest from his global business empire, breaking from past presidents who had put their assets in a blind trust. Instead, Trump opted to maintain ownership of his businesses while handing off control to his two oldest sons, Eric and Donald Jr.

Trump's decision sparked concerns about potential conflicts of interest in the White House. Ethics experts recommended that he completely divest or set up a blind trust, arguing that his arrangement did not go far enough to prevent ethical issues. Walter Shaub, the former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, advised Trump to "divest his conflicting assets." Norman Eisen, a former White House ethics adviser under Barack Obama, warned that Trump's "ill-advised course will precipitate scandal and corruption."

Trump's lawyer, Sheri Dillon, defended his decision, arguing that a blind trust was not a realistic possibility for a family-owned company and that sudden divestment would hurt Trump financially. She also stated that Trump's sons would run the trusts to the "highest ethical standards."

Trump's refusal to divest from his business empire broke ethical norms, if not laws, and raised questions about his commitment to addressing potential conflicts of interest during his presidency.

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