Senator Elizabeth Warren is calling on President-elect Donald Trump to implement stronger ethics rules to prevent corruption and conflicts of interest within his incoming administration, particularly targeting the involvement of wealthy tech leaders like Elon Musk.
In a letter obtained by The Guardian, Warren urged Trump to develop an ambitious ethics pledge. “President Trump can and should top President Biden’s standard, and his own,” she wrote, emphasizing the need for new safeguards to address “key corruption risks.”
She specifically raised concerns about government appointees maintaining private-sector roles, a likely reference to Musk.
The billionaire owner of Tesla, SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter), reportedly donated hundreds of millions to Trump’s campaign and has gone on to position himself as a central figure in Trump’s transition planning. His appointment as co-lead of the newly-created “Department of Government and Efficiency” (DOGE), which allows him to maintain his private interests while being tasked with government oversight, brings potential conflicts of interest into question.
Addressed to Trump’s transition co-chairs, Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon, Warren’s letter outlined seven recommendations for tightening ethics rules, including stronger restrictions on lobbyists and special government employees who hold simultaneous private-sector jobs. She also called for new rules targeting former officials engaging in foreign business deals, seemingly a direct nod to Jared Kushner’s controversial $2 billion investment from a Saudi fund after Trump’s first term.
Her letter went on to accuse Trump of breaking his 2016 promise to “drain the swamp,” urging the administration to demonstrate a longterm commitment to any new ethics standards.
“The American people have seen that, all too often, government officials use their positions to benefit their own pocketbooks,” Warren said. “Even the appearance of such corruption is enough to damage Americans’ trust in government—which has reached an all-time low and appears to be trending in the wrong direction,” Warren said.
Recent Pew Research data shows only 22% of Americans trust the federal government, supporting Warren’s assertion that there is an urgent need to signal a dedication to ethical governing.
Originally published by Latin Times.
