Can’t speculate as to whether the Executive Branch can require its employees to keep their mouths shut about Executive Branch deliberations, but having the White House require NDAs of congressional employees sure looks like a separation-of-powers issue to me. Then again, this is how Trump has run his businesses, and probably why only one beauty pageant contestant spoke out during the campaign (as I recall, Alicia Machado had already won by the time Trump acquired the pageant, so she probably had not signed an NDA as have so many who have had any business relationship with Trump). It’s about time that he realized that he’s accountable to the country and not just to himself. As they say, “sunshine is the best disinfectant.” That apparently doesn’t apply to the Prince of Darkness.
Trump: It’s a very small govt. We share resources; Saves taxpayer’s money. It’s reducing Obama’s deficit.
If this this guy okay with personal nondisclosure agreements of federal employees from Trump, then he has serious problems and needs to be investigated. Why is he permitting (encouraging) this?
Or as mentioned else where so when the fall out comes they can deny being involved.
Notice this was timed to coincide with Sean Sphincter 's press conference?
Doubt that’s a coincidence…
Why would a federal government employee need to sign a NDA for the work they provided to the federal government? I guess, if the bosses don’t want the general public to know what they are doing, the NDA would be helpful. Obviously, in President trump’s form of transparent government NDAs aren’t required … unless he is trying to hide something.
Do we really think President trump is trying to hide anything? We do know we’re not allowed to take anything trump says literally and a NDA wouldn’t reveal anything in that case.
I beginning to think the trump administration is being a little underhanded.
He’s looking avuncular enough in that photo above for people to think something’s up, I’ll say that.
Add my voice to the chorus of people wondering how public employees can be made to sign NDAs. Legal challenge please
Yikes! Competency has deteriorated that much, eh?
I’m trying to imagine the shitstorm if it were a Democratic office loaning their staff to President Obama, and he required them to sign NDAs. I’m sure right-wingers would be cool with that, right?
So this is why Goodlatte wanted to gut the Ethics committee… The NDAs that his staffers signed violate ethics rules, and he wanted to get in front of that. The fix was in with Bannon, but Trump burned him on ethic committee change. Goodlatte is going to be left hold the bag when the law suits about staffers and NDAs start getting fired up.
So if he “lends” staff to the transition team, whose budget are they getting paid under?
It’s because if this all backfires, Goodlatte and other elected Republiscums can deny any involvement…'what, I didn’t know".
Plausible deniability anyone?
So, no separation of powers, then. Thanks Badlatte. I know how hard it must be for you to verbally justify yourself with Steve Bannon’s gin-stained balls in your mouth.
They are used in the covert world. All I can say.
Exactly what I was thinking.
People are detailed across branches of government all the time. You get paid by your home agency.
This whole issue is pure inside baseball. It’s only a controversy if Republican want to make it one. which they don’t. Please get used to this. Republicans are not bailing us out of this ShitShow ™.
BS. He didn’t know but these Republicans who have ‘vowed’ to uphold the Constitution have decided instead to just bend over for the RW machine and then whine later when it all goes horribly wrong.
Why do the NDA’s violate ethics rules?
Why do all the most craven, mendacious, butt-licking Republicans look like DNA we shouldn’t keep around? This McConnel look-alike would have been a great middle-management Nazi. “I’ll get the rush order of ovens to Poland for you sir right away!”
His first act in the new congress was to avoid responsibility by gutting ethics oversight. Now covering his eyes and ears while his staffers collude with the the most incompetent and dangerous administration America has ever suffered. Then the Committee chair releases a self- serving attaboy for the inexcusable behavior of his own committee? NDAs with the Trump admin? These fuckers hate America.
When the guillotines come out I would like to see this guy’s and McConnells head in the same basket.