Opinion: Conflict-of-interest laws may not apply to Trump, but ethics still do

To the editor: You make Donald Trump’s ethical problem a bigger conundrum than it actually is. (“Trump hasn’t even been sworn in yet and his conflicts of interest are already unacceptable,” editorial, Dec. 27)

Citing “ethics laws,” you seem to accept his theory that conflicts of interest do not raise the same ethical concerns for the president as they do for the rest of us. But the very term “ethics laws” harbors an inherent contradiction, conflating one’s ethical obligations with his legal duties.

Ethics relate to what is right and moral, and laws make some unethical behavior a crime. Society calls upon everyone to behave ethically, regardless of whether a criminal statute applies.

Congress did pass laws making it a crime for federal employees to take official action in matters where they have a financial interest, and it did exempt the president from prosecution for conduct violating those laws. But that doesn’t make such conduct any less unethical; it simply means the president can get away with it.

The idea that Trump is free from meeting ethical standards simply because he can’t be prosecuted for violating them is dangerous, especially since he has kept his finances largely a secret. If a president holds personal interests that conflict with the nation’s interests, serious impropriety is a risk, and the appearance of impropriety is a certainty.

Russell S. Kussman, Santa Monica

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