Trump granted at least 16 White House staffers ethics waivers: report

By Max Greenwood - 05/31/17 10:33 PM EDT

President Trump has granted at least 16 members of his White House staff waivers to work in areas in which they previously lobbied or to interact with colleagues from their past jobs, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

The number of waivers granted is more than five times the number issued in the first four months of former President Barack Obama's administration.

Among those given waivers were Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, who most recently served as chairman of the Republican National Committee and continues to interact with the organization in his White House job, and Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, a former pollster and GOP strategist.

A number of former lobbyists were granted waivers, as well. For example, Shahira Knight, a special assistant to the president for tax and retirement policy, previously lobbied for Fidelity Investments, according to the Times. And Andrew Olmem, a special assistant to the president for financial policy, previously lobbied for companies like American Express and MetLife.

As a presidential candidate, Trump vowed to disrupt the power of Washington lobbyists and political insiders.

The White House disclosed the waivers after a bitter fight with the Office of Government Ethics, which had ordered the Trump administration to release the records.

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbyi...ethics-waivers