#government-ethics

#government-ethics

Yes. And that which is taking place in Minneapolis-and not simply in Minneapolis, but most pointedly in Minneapolis-ought not be framed as: "Is that lawful?" It ought to be framed as: "Is that right?" Are we going to allow a masked, heavily armed secret police force to march through the city all but unchecked, and checked only by the voluntary surveillance-to the extent they are checked-by plain citizens at their peril? A secret police force that, at least it appears at this point, enjoys absolute impunity? Those are profoundly moral questions. Those are moral judgements.

In the eleven months since the former MAGA podcaster became FBI Director, he's managed to show everyone how to not do his job. He's bungled various high-profile investigations (not bungling is a pretty important part of the role); fired people to allegedly cozy up to Trump's retribution campaign (at least three individuals are suing him for this); and was caught red-handed promoting QAnon in social media posts.

On Monday, President Trump started knocking down the entire East Wing of the White House in order to build Probably the finest ballroom ever built. Here's how Americans responded. Destroy the entire East Wing. It's despicable. Does the president have the authority to do this? Absolutely not. Everything this country stands for, he will absolutely destroy it for the satisfaction of his own [expletive] ego.

The much-criticised watchdog that scrutinises the jobs UK ministers can take after leaving office will be formally scrapped on Monday as part of a wider shake-up of the ethics structure in government. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), described by critics as fundamentally toothless, has been closed, a Cabinet Office announcement said, with its functions taken over by two existing regulators. At the same time, a new organisation called the Ethics and Integrity Commission will oversee the work of a series of other regulators,

Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure to explain how his private office complies with rules over taxpayer subsidies after further revelations about how his staff appear to be overseeing his global commercial operations. A leak of data from the Office of Boris Johnson appears to show all three of his staff helping Johnson's business and profit-making ventures.

San Jose elected leaders are set to raise how much they can accept in gifts from business and labor interests, arguing it will save taxpayers money. The City Council on Tuesday will decide whether to raise its gift limits from $50 to $200, which equates to a higher number of free meals or tickets they can receive at networking luncheons, business conferences and nonprofit celebrations. The item is on the consent agenda, meaning it will be approved without discussion - unless an official pulls it to discuss with colleagues.

Lin Gui'an, a former assistant commissioner of the NYPD, was fined $5,000 for illegally soliciting donations for Mayor Adams' campaign while in a substantial policy role.

Heidorn's departure marks a significant change for the Public Ethics Commission, which has faced challenges in resources and handling a rising number of enforcement cases.