Some thoughts about issues involving President-elect Donald Trump in the news in recent days:

• The prospect of having the CEO of Exxon Mobil as secretary of state has some concerned that his business background creates some sort of conflict of interest for him in dealing on behalf of the government.

If someone can’t separate his personal interests from those of the government position he holds, there is a conflict — along the lines of what many allege was a conflict of interest for Hillary Clinton, who is alleged to have used her position as secretary of state to benefit the Clinton Foundation and friends of the Clinton family.

Heading up Exxon Mobil means Rex Tillerson has run a company that has a budget bigger than many of the countries he’ll deal with as head of the state department. That he knows plenty of government leaders, that he’s been involved with negotiating business deals with governments around the world, that he’s successfully managed the politics of a huge company like Exxon Mobile, all suggest he’ll be in a position to make a difference for America, more so than the appointment of someone who may have lots of theories on dealing with other governments but little practical experience.

Putting people who have proven track records of success in charge of things seems a common sense approach. Tillerson’s background in the big business that is Exxon Mobil seems a positive, not a negative.

• What about Trump’s family? While some are suggesting it’s a conflict of interest for Donald Trump to not put the operation of his company into a blind trust, what about his children who work for his company — are they supposed to not work while their dad is president?

President-elect Trump has said he won’t take an active role in his company, that he’ll let his sons and company executives take over its management.

One critic of Trump’s plan says of those who’d seek to get a favor from the president, “If you can’t give it to the boss man, give to his family.” But certainly there are children or other relatives of presidents who have gained favor from others seeking to do business with them because their father was president? If you’re a lawyer and your dad is the president, isn’t it likely that some would seek to do business with you thinking it’ll help when dealing with dad?

There are no laws that require Trump to sell his business holdings or to set up the blind trusts. This wasn’t a problem for President Obama whose assets are reportedly in Treasury bonds and mutual funds. USA Today reported that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg maintained ownership of his company, but turned over day-to-day operations to others.

The key will be how Trump keeps his distance from potential conflicts, but his kids shouldn’t be forced to give us their business because their dad got elected.

 

Will Chapman

Publisher