Laura Barron-Lopez:
The event is part of a pattern of conflicts of interest, as the president and those close to him stand to benefit from his time in office.
Here to discuss is Don Fox, former acting director of the U.S. office of government ethics.
Mr. Fox, thanks so much for joining us.
So I want to separate out Elon Musk and President Trump. First, did the president violate any laws or ethics rules with that White House sales event promoting Teslas?
Don Fox, Former Acting Director, U.S. Office of Government Ethics: Well, he certainly violated any sense of normalcy or decency in terms of what we expect from the president.
But, as it turns out, the president is actually exempt from federal conflicts of interest laws and standards.
