Why Governmental Transparency Will Not Work Without Strong Leadership

Walter Shaub, the former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, has warned that President Donald Trump’s conflicts of interest could put America at the risk of becoming a “kleptocracy”: that is, a country led by corrupt leaders. Shaub resigned recently, six months before his five-year term was set to end. Shaub had been clashing with President Donald Trump since the presidential transition. He was encouraging Trump to either sell his assets or put them in a blind trust. All previous modern presidents have done one or the other to avoid conflicts of interest. Trump did not. Instead, he turned his company over to his adult children and a long-time business partner. For Shaub, this continued to be an issue of concern.