{"id":1998064,"date":"2023-08-11T16:00:01","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T20:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fec-ethics-audit-clears-trump-nominee-of-any-violation\/"},"modified":"2023-08-11T16:02:23","modified_gmt":"2023-08-11T20:02:23","slug":"fec-ethics-audit-clears-trump-nominee-of-any-violation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fec-ethics-audit-clears-trump-nominee-of-any-violation\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump-nominee cleared of ethics violation by FEC audit."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffec-ethics-audit-clears-trump-nominee-of-any-violation%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1998064&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>An Audit Clears Trump-Nominated FEC Member of Ethics Violation<\/h2>\n<p>An audit of a Trump-nominated member \u200bof the Federal Election Commission\u200c (FEC) has concluded that there\u2064 were no\u200c rule breaches regarding his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inspector-general-closes-ethics-probe-into-elaine-chao-angering-dems\/\" title=\"Inspector General Closes Ethics Probe Into Elaine Chao, Angering Dems\">potential ethics violation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The investigation was triggered by a media report about\u200c commissioner\u200b James \u201cTrey\u201d Trainor III\u2019s appearance at a Nov. 29, 2021, event in Denton County organized by the Denton County Republican Party. He\u200d was billed \u200bas a member of the \u201cTrump\u2062 Elections Team.\u201d The audit, conducted by the \u2064FEC\u2019s \u2062Office of the Inspector \u2063General (OIG), found no \u2064violations of relevant ethical standards.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Trainor had previously served\u200b as counsel to President Trump\u2019s presidential \u200bcampaign \u2063and the Republican National Committee.\u2064 In \u200b2017, President Trump nominated him to serve on \u2064the FEC, which is responsible for enforcing campaign finance laws. He was confirmed to the FEC in 2020.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/ntd-news-today-august-11-<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/donald-trump-ends-negotiations-with-nancy-pelosi-on-coronavirus-relief\/\" title=\"Donald Trump Ends Negotiations with Nancy Pelosi on Coronavirus Relief\">judge<\/a>-trumps-free-speech-rights-not-absolute-rfk-jr-renews-his-call-for-secret-service-protection-5459511&#8243;>NTD News Today (August 11): Judge: Trump&#8217;s Free\u200b Speech \u2062Rights &#8216;Not Absolute;&#8217; RFK Jr. Renews His Call for Secret Service Protection<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/election-case-judge-snubs-prosecutors-issues-limited-gag-order-5459534\">Judge Snubs\u2064 Special\u2064 Counsel, Issues Limited Gag Order in Trump Election Case<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/dc-federal-judge-holds-hearing-on-evidence-in-trump-election-case-5458487\">DC Federal Judge Holds Hearing on Evidence in Trump Election Case<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/trump-refuses-to-sign-republican-pledge-jan-6-committee-accused-of-destroying-evidence-5458584\">Trump Refuses to Sign Republican Pledge; Jan. 6 Committee Accused of Destroying Evidence | Live With Josh<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Mr. Trainor\u2019s participation in the Denton County\u200d event had raised concerns among finance experts,\u2064 including former FEC commissioners, \u200baccording \u200cto a Business Insider report \u2064cited in the audit summary.<\/p>\n<p>Some \u200dexpressed worries about FEC commissioners involving themselves in partisan activities. \u2064This \u200cmedia report triggered \u2063the FEC investigation into Mr. Trainor, which looked into \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cuomo-set-to-make-over-5-million-from-his-book-deal\/\" title=\"Cuomo Set To Make Over  million From His Book Deal\">potential ethics violations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBased on \u200dpublic reporting and other available evidence (including testimony of other participants), we identified no violations \u2064of relevant ethical standards,\u201d \u200dthe audit report said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is understandable that outside observers \u200bmight question his \u2063participation\u2064 in an event\u2064 hosted by a political party. However, Commissioners \u2063are appointed, in part, on the basis of partisan affiliation\u2063 and frequently speak in public.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The FEC admitted that \u201cto an outside observer, Commissioner Trainor\u2019s appearance at an event hosted \u2062by a\u2064 political party and identified as a\u200d member of\u200d the\u200b \u2018Trump Elections Team\u2019 might\u200d create an appearance of an ethical violation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, the agency pointed out that Mr. Trainor\u2019s designation as a member of the \u201cTrump\u2064 Elections Team\u201d was\u2063 done without his knowledge and that he \u201cdid not speak on behalf of the Trump campaign\u201d at the Denton County \u2064event.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccordingly, the OIG closed this matter with no recommendations for the Commission \u2064or \u200dFEC management,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n<h2>Non-Cooperation With Investigation<\/h2>\n<p>The audit report highlights that Mr. Trainor was not cooperative \u200dwith \u200cthe\u200d agency regarding the investigation, which impeded\u2063 evidence gathering \u2064by the\u200d OIG \u200band \u201cresulted \u200din uncertainty \u2063concerning\u2062 the conclusions in\u2064 this \u200dinvestigation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCommissioner \u200dTrainor did not participate in \u2063this investigation. After initially referring the OIG to his legal counsel, neither Commissioner Trainor nor his \u200dcounsel responded to numerous attempts over\u200b the course\u2062 of several months by the OIG to schedule an interview,\u201d \u200dthe \u200creport said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was also\u2063 inconsistent with Commission guidance \u200bregarding cooperation with the OIG, specifically, \u200ca March 25, 2022 \u200cemail sent to FEC staff by a prior Commission Chair \u200ddirecting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fishing-industry-pushes-back-on-biden-admin-mega-wind-project\/\" title=\"Fishing Industry Pushes Back On Biden Admin Mega Wind Project\">agency personnel<\/a> to cooperate with OIG engagements, \u200cincluding \u2062investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlthough that direction may not be binding upon other commissioners, Commissioner \u200cTrainor\u2019s non-participation in this\u2064 investigation nevertheless reflects inconsistency with the standard expected of other agency personnel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/fec-gotcha-comes-up-empty-handed-in-audit-of-trump-appointed-commish\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">interview<\/a> with the Washington Examiner,\u2064 Mr. Trainor criticized the investigation, stating, \u201cI\u2019m outraged at the enormous waste of time and taxpayer money that was wasted on this matter \u2026 I\u2019m amazed that an obscure news\u2064 story caused all of this commotion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis \u200cis the type of \u2063\u2018gotcha\u2019 game that the American people have grown to loathe about [Washington]. The full apparatus of the government was harnessed to investigate a Zoom appearance to a group I have not seen in person.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Recusal Issue<\/h2>\n<p>In addition \u200cto \u200dthe Denton County event, the FEC investigation also looked into Mr. Trainor\u2019s participation\u200c in matters involving the Trump 2016 election campaign.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 report notes that FEC\u2019s ethics officials had earlier\u200b advised Mr. Trainor that while he was\u200c commissioner at the agency, \u2064he should recuse himself from matters \u2063concerning Trump\u2019s 2016 campaign if\u2062 he\u200c had earlier represented the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/abort-republicans-dem-city-council-members-coffee-shop-sells-disturbing-stickers\/\" title=\"\u2018Abort Republicans\u2019: Dem City Council Member\u2019s Coffee Shop Sells Disturbing Stickers\">campaign prior<\/a> to\u200c joining the FEC.<\/p>\n<p>The OIG reviewed 39 matters that the FEC looked at \u200bthat involved the Trump 2016 campaign. Mr.\u2062 Trainor was found to have participated in 37 out of \u200bthese 39 matters, recusing himself from two.<\/p>\n<p>During his \u200bMarch \u200b2020 confirmation hearing before the Senate Rules and Administration, Mr. Trainor \u2062refused to commit to a \u201cblanket\u200c recusal\u201d \u200bin matters\u2063 involving President Trump, pointing out that \u201cI don&#8217;t think that there is anyone at the Commission currently who \u2064has\u200d a blanket recusal and I think we should all \u2063follow the \u200csame rules and \u200cguidelines.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have entered into an agreement with \u2062regard to recusals at the Commission, and I intend to follow the same\u200c recusal regime that every other Commissioner has followed when matters regarding President \u2062Trump come up,\u201d he said at the time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will approach the ethics officials at the agency \u2064and have that discussion with\u200c them to see when it \u2062is appropriate to\u2063 recuse and <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An audit of FEC member James &#8220;Trey&#8221; Trainor III, nominated by Trump, found no ethics violations. The investigation was prompted by media reports of Trainor&#8217;s attendance at a Denton County Republican Party event on Nov. 29, 2021.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":186,"featured_media":1998065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1998064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1998064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/186"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1998064"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1998064\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1998065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1998064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1998064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1998064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}