Jamieson Greer, Trump’s Trade Rep, Has 2 Other Jobs | EUROtoday

Democrats on Capitol Hill say it’s time for Jamieson Greer to choose the job he loves most.

Greer is President Donald Trump’s U.S. commerce consultant, chargeable for steering the nation by what’s shaping as much as be a tariff-fueled world commerce warfare. But Greer can be serving because the performing head of two different businesses, the Office of Special Counsel and the Office of Government Ethics.

Those are vital jobs, no less than underneath a standard administration. The OSC is tasked with defending authorities whistleblowers, and the OGE is chargeable for implementing ethics guidelines within the govt department. It can be loads for Greer to juggle on prime of his commerce gig, particularly as Trump’s tariffs soften down monetary markets, immediate retaliation from different international locations and lift the chance of a recession.

Four House Democrats, led by Rep. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), despatched a letter to Greer on Wednesday telling him it was time to drop his facet hustles and give attention to being the nation’s prime commerce official — a “singular” function at a time when “the stakes could not be higher.” They stated sporting three totally different hats throughout the administration not solely creates conflicts of curiosity however makes it unimaginable to do anybody job properly.

“Since President Trump has launched a global trade war, it is critical that you remain focused on fulfilling the duties for which you were confirmed by the United States Senate,” Pressley wrote, joined by Reps. Don Beyer (Va.), Linda Sánchez (Calif.) and Gerry Connolly (Va.). “Taking on at least two other jobs is misguided and a disservice to the public who expect a competent and effective USTR, OSC, and OGE.”

The Senate confirmed Greer, a commerce legal professional who served within the first Trump administration, because the U.S. commerce consultant on Feb. 26. Meanwhile, the Office of Government Ethics at present lists Greer as performing director on its web site.

A spokesperson for the Office of Special Counsel confirmed Greer is main the company, however didn’t tackle how a lot time he’s been placing in on the workplace. They referred inquiries to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Greer positively wasn’t working on the particular counsel’s workplace or the federal government ethics workplace on Tuesday morning ― he was busy testifying on the commerce warfare earlier than a Senate panel.

It’s unlikely this administration desires a functioning particular counsel workplace, because it’s one in all a handful that protects the labor rights of federal workers — partly by searching for the reinstatement of those that have been fired or disciplined illegally. Trump created the opening at OSC when he eliminated the earlier particular counsel, Hampton Dellinger, in early February.

Dellinger sued on the grounds his firing was unlawful, and gained a choose’s order permitting him to maintain his place. But he later dropped his case after an appeals courtroom allowed his firing to proceed.

Pressley and her colleagues puzzled how the OSC might fulfill its mission if its performing director was additionally working commerce coverage at such a essential time.

“With the current onslaught of attacks, layoffs, and firings of government employees, OSC’s work has greatly increased in significance and quantity,” they wrote.

An aggressive Office of Government Ethics wouldn’t be excessive on this administration’s precedence listing, both. The OGE is chargeable for stopping conflicts of curiosity underneath a president who lately marketed Tesla automobiles for his billionaire backer Elon Musk on the White House grounds.

In early February, Trump fired the impartial workplace’s director who’d been appointed by former President Joe Biden to a five-year time period.

“Since coming into the presidency, the Trump Administration has been the subject of dozens of ethics complaints that require serious attention,” the Democrats famous of their letter.

They put quite a few inquiries to Greer, together with what number of hours he’s working on the totally different workplaces, whether or not he’s bought every other jobs they don’t find out about, and if he’s recused himself from any whistleblower or ethics circumstances involving the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. They urged him to resign his non-trade positions instantly.

“Anything less fails to meet the ethical and professional standards required to preserve the independence and effectiveness of both offices,” they wrote.