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Administration officials under legal scrutiny, as Scott Pruitt was, have used legal defense funds to help pay expenses. But there is no federal regulation specifically governing their use. We're calling on the Office of Government Ethics to change that: americanoversight.org/legal-defense-…
Former EPA Administrator Pruitt created a fund to pay for his legal defense while he battled more than a dozen ethics investigations, receiving $50,000 from a Republican donor whose companies were subject to EPA inspection: americanoversight.org/legal-defense-…
So that officials don't accept gifts in violation of ethics laws, donors to legal defense funds should be required to publicly disclose their identities and any interests that may be affected by the benefiting official's agency.
The Patriot Legal Expense Fund Trust is another example. It was formed by supporters of the Trump administration to pay the legal expenses of Trump aides under investigation. The fund has refused to disclose the names of those it aims to support.
This makes it impossible for ethics officials and watchdog groups to determine whether officials have accepted donations from individuals who stand to benefit from their official government actions.
Legal defense funds must be regulated to prevent corruption and allow for transparency and oversight. See the comment we submitted to the Office of Government Ethics: americanoversight.org/legal-defense-…
