Trump White House ethics lawyer resign

[SummerSnow]

By JOSH GERSTEIN 11/27/2017 05:09 AM EST
The ranks of former White House ethics lawyers available to comment on the ongoing controversies engulfing President Donald Trump's administration has just grown by one — an attorney who's certain to offer a much different perspective than the most prominent figures now ensconced as seemingly permanent fixtures on cable news.

After almost a year in the White House counsel's office tackling a raft of ethics and financial disclosure issues, James Schultz resigned last week and is returning to private practice at the Philadelphia-based law firm where he previously worked, Cozen O'Connor.

Schultz insists his exit is unrelated to any of those myriad controversies, but simply triggered by a desire to get back to private law work and back to Philadelphia, where his family has remained.

"That was something Don [McGahn, the White House counsel] and I discussed very early on," Schultz told POLITICO on Sunday. "I was interested in continuing with private practice and saw this as a tremendous opportunity to go serve and get things up and running and the plan was to move on about this time. ... These are typically year-to-about-18-months-type positions."

Asked if he plans to join the public, often-televised debate on alleged conflicts of interest involving Trump administration figures, Schultz said he expects to, but doesn't plan to make it a full-time job.

"That'll be something I'd be willing to do, certainly, getting out and talking about the good work the Trump administration is doing on these issue," he said. "I will be out, but I don't plan to make a career out of being a pundit on TV. ... I'm planning to have a robust law practice."

Schultz said some of the media attention to ethics issues in the Trump administration has been valid because of the complexity of the personal holdings of business-sector veterans joining the Cabinet and other top positions. However, some of that concern has been exaggerated and distorted, he said.

https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2017/11/27/trump-white-house-ethics-lawyer-exits-260542

* more at the link

[brush]

1. Whatever he says the reason for his leaving is BS. It's November, a year and a few days after the...

the election.

He can now say on his resume that he worked for a year in the administration.

[Gothmog]

2. The white house had an ethics officer?

[Squinch]

3. Tired of being called, "The Oxymoron."

[JHB]

4. I can practically hear his response to all the questions...

“Pursuantt to the terms of the non-disclosure agreement signed by all staffers, I can’t comment on that.”

[lindysalsagal]

5. "When asked why he left, Schultz replied: I got a better offer: I'm going to represent

axe murderers on death row."