In Possible Ethics Violation, Mnuchin Plugs Batman Film He Produced
First, it was senior adviser Kellyanne Conway plugging Ivanka Trump’s clothing line in a live TV interview from the White House. Now it’s Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs banker who became a movie underwriter and was executive producer of “The Lego Batman Movie”.
“I’m not allowed to promote anything that I’m involved in,” Mnuchin said during a Friday morning event organized by Axios, before going on to do just that: “So I just want to have the legal disclosure, you’ve asked me the question, and I am not promoting any product. But you should send all your kids to ‘Lego Batman.’”
Did Mnuchin break federal government rules by promoting, even in a joking manner, his movie?
Norm Eisen, former ethics czar for President Obama, says yes.
ETHICS VIOLATION: appears Mnuchin just violated 5 CFR 2635.702—same transgression as Conway. That is what happens when WH looks other way. https://t.co/l3s8NS3ffg
— Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) March 24, 2017
Lego Batman has raked in more than $168 million in box offices sales so far.
Contact Nathan Guttman at guttman@forward.com
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