Representative Raul Ruiz, who you probably know best from seeing by his broken down car on the side of the road, has introduced a trio of bills that would prevent politicians from spending campaign funds on businesses they own and would require they release their tax returns. Hmmmmm, wonder what sort of an asshole candidate would do such terrible things that would require Ruiz to introduce laws like this?
Public service is about #peoplenotprofit. My ethics bills prevent politicians from using their position for personal gain. Click for more: pic.twitter.com/UxEkoSAz1Z
— Raul Ruiz (@CongressmanRuiz) February 2, 2017
The lowdown, via Press Enterprise:
The Campaign Spending Integrity Act would prohibit candidates from using campaign funds on businesses they or immediate family members control, while the Public Service Spending Integrity Act would prevent federal money from being spent on businesses owned or controlled by the President, Vice President, cabinet members, members of Congress, or any of their immediate family members.
“People shouldn’t be allowed to line their pockets when they’re in public service or running for office,” said Ruiz, who claimed that Trump “paid his own businesses over $8 million in campaign funds.”
“The public should feel confident that politicians are elected to serve the people, not get rich. My ethics package helps prevent any elected official, regardless of party, from abusing their authority for personal gain,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz has also proposed the Public Service Transparency Act, which would make candidates for president, vice president and those nominated for cabinet-level positions release their tax returns on an annual basis.
And while these sound like pretty reasonable requests and it is surprising that they are not laws already, they will almost assuredly never be passed so long as Republicans are in charge of the House and Senate.
What a great time to be an American.
