Trump Family again violates ethical norms: This time they’re hawking beans

July 15: On This Day In 2020

First, a quick observation: Ever masters of the arts of PR and of deception, Team Trump is already sending out fundraising requests to capitalize on his shooting...and they use a doctored photo to do so. Nothing is too serious or too sacred to be left un-lied-about by the Trumps.

And now, we return to this this regularly-scheduled chronicle of Trump lawlessness and fakery:

Trump’s blatant disdain for Latinos was no secret. For example, he once answered a question on CNN by asking the reporter: “Who do you like more, the country or the Hispanics?”

But, Trump still needed their votes. So in 2020 he publicized his creation of a Hispanic outreach program. The move was supported by Robert Unanue, CEO of Goya Foods, producer of Latin-oriented beans, sauces, and spices. “We are so blessed to have you as our leader,” Unanue told Trump.

In the Hispanic community, the backlash to that ass-kissing was severe, with calls for a national boycott of the Goya brand. Most didn’t see themselves as “blessed” to have Trump in the White House, attacking them at every turn.

Trumps to the rescue: In response to the uproar, White House staffer and Trump Family member Ivanka Trump brought out her star power to help rescue the company. She tweeted a picture of herself looking like a corporate spokesmodel pitching a can of Goya beans.

Public watchdog groups were outraged that she would use her position like that. “Every White House I have known until this one — of both parties — has rigorously worked to separate campaign activity and official business,” said Trevor Potter, a Republican and a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission.

After all, the federal ethics law is pretty clear: “An employee shall not use or permit the use of his Government position or title or any authority associated with his public office to endorse any product, service or enterprise…"

But Donald didn’t care. So, he doubled-down. OTDI 2020, the President posted a photo of himself endorsing an assortment of Goya Foods spread before him on the Resolute desk. (h/t to Bill Kristol for the commentary!)

“Ethics? We don’t need no stinking ethics!” As The New York Times summarized: “Mr. Trump and his advisers have long tested — and often crossed — the boundaries between the official and the political. The Office of Special Counsel…has found 13 Trump officials in violation of the Hatch Act, the 1939 law limiting the political activities of government employees…Staff members with the watchdog group (CREW) said they could recall only two such instances under President Barack Obama.”

Norm Eisen, the leading expert on government ethics, got two things right in his final assessment: He told ABC News "this would’ve been treated as a serious matter in any other administration." And, he continued, "In the Trump administration, (Ivanka) will probably be rewarded. That bespeaks an ethical degradation for which the voters are about to punish the president severely."

Commentary 1): It was a farce that Ivanka had her White House job in the first place. Anti-nepotism laws in place since the Johnson era essentially forbade it, so they skirted the law by making her an unpaid employee. Thereby, of course, skirting minimum wage laws. But, regardless, Ivanka promised to follow all ethics-related rules anyway. So much for Ivanka's promises.

Commentary 2): Remember that Trump also was eager to use his bully pulpit to help financially destroy American companies he personally didn’t like.

Dive Deeper

• NBC has the story on Unanue’s praise of President Trump

• Backlash to the President and First Daughter’s endorsements of Goya was reported on ABC News

• Michael Crowley, in the NYT, explained why the Trump Family action violated norms

• ABC’s take, with the Eisen quote
  

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Summary: Trump Family violates ethical norms and precedent yet again -- hawks Goya beans.