U.S. Ethics Agency Warns Bessent Over Conflicts of Interest - NY Times
US Ethics Agency Warns Bessent Over Conflicts Of Interest - @nytimes https://t.co/gsZVqjFBYd
New: U.S. ethics agency warns Bessent over conflicts of interest. The Treasury secretary has been slow to divest assets, including North Dakota farmland, that he pledged to shed. https://t.co/ZqdozAeRyQ
The U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) has issued a formal warning to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for failing to meet the divestment timetable he agreed to before his confirmation, according to a letter dated Aug. 11 that was sent to Senate Finance Committee Chair Michael Crapo and reviewed by the New York Times. Bessent, a millionaire former hedge-fund manager, promised in January to shed dozens of funds, trusts and North Dakota farmland holdings within 90 days to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest. The OGE said he has not yet complied with several terms of that agreement, putting him out of step with most other Trump Cabinet members who have completed their ethics requirements. The ethics reprimand lands as Bessent steers the administration’s policies on taxes, trade and financial deregulation, raising fresh questions about whether his personal investments could intersect with decisions on the U.S. economy.
