Trump and Clinton Would Both Bring Ethics Baggage to White House

Federal ethics rules don’t apply to the president, experts say

The financial entanglements of Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump could pose significant conflicts of interest if either is elected to the White House — and there is no law regulating them, according to ethics efforts, NBC News reports. 

Since federal ethics rules don’t apply to the president, there is nothing stopping Bill Clinton from doing business with interested parties while his wife is in the Oval Office. Donald Trump may be able to demand a tax break for a new golf course from a country that wants U.S. aid. 

"Trump and Clinton are different" from recent past presidents in this regard, said Stephen Gillers, a professor and legal ethics scholar at New York University. "The last time I think we asked these questions might have been Kennedy." 

Experts say the law won’t be much help. That means the Clintons should transfer the assets and programs of the $2 billion Clinton Foundation to another charity. And Trump needs to, according to experts, sell his holdings overseas.

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