Trump Appointee Stands Down–And Shows More Ethics Than His Would-Be Boss (VIDEO, TWEET)

When it became apparent that many of Donald Trump’s appointees were manifestly unfit and unqualified, it was only natural to gird ourselves to pop the champagne when one of them was either defeated in the Senate or bowed out. That occasion finally came when CKE CEO and Labor Secretary pick Andy Puzder stood down when it was apparent that allegations of domestic violence, his hiring of an undocumented maid, and his business practices were about to doom him to a humiliating defeat in the Senate.

Well, on Sunday, something happened that nobody expected–a Trump nominee is standing down, but for a reason that should be be applauded, not ridiculed. Philip Bilden, who had been nominated as Secretary of the Navy, announced he was withdrawing his name from consideration after finding that he wouldn’t be able to sell off enough of his business interests to meet federal ethics requirements.

Bilden’s nomination was reportedly on life support as early as last week, when CBS News reported that Bilden was very likely to withdraw. Watch here.

CBS News White House correspondent Major Garrett learned from two people close to the situation that Bilden was facing questions about his financial interests. He had recently retired as a senior executive at private equity firm HarbourVest Partners. He also didn’t have much naval experience, though his son is a midshipman at the Naval Academy and he serves on the Naval Academy board.

When this report came to light, Press Secretary Sean Spicer wasted no time trying to shoot it down.

Well, Spicer now has egg on his face. On Sunday, Bilden announced that he could no longer remain in consideration for Navy Secretary. He said that an “extensive review process” had led him to conclude that he wouldn’t be able to divest nearly enough of his financial interests to pass federal ethics requirements.

Bilden ultimately concluded that staying in the ring would only result in “undue disruption and materially adverse divestment of my family’s financial interests.” Defense Secretary James Mattis supported Bilden’s decision, saying that Bilden reached this conclusion due to “privacy concerns and significant challenges” in unwinding his business ties.

This is actually the second time that a service secretary has pulled out of consideration due to financial problems. Trump’s original pick for Secretary of the Army, Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola, pulled out when it became apparent that he would not be able to divest his business interests in a way that would allow him to comply with Pentagon requirements.

Hmmm, this sounds eerily familiar. Oh, that’s right–we have a president with stratospheric conflicts of interest that raise serious ethical and constitutional concerns. If Bilden and Viola could take the time to ensure that there weren’t any red flags in their business interests, why couldn’t Trump? Or, more accurately, why won’t Trump do so? After all, if the service secretaries have to comply with conflict-of-interest rules, the Commander-in-Chief should do the same.

(featured image: screenshot via YouTube)

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.