Trump Bets on Casino Hired Gun for State Department

Source: Daily Beast | July 19, 2017 | Betsy Woodruff

Ethics experts are aghast at the State Department’s decision to hire a former casino consultant with Russian ties.

When Jonathan Galaviz left his job at a casino consulting firm to go work for the Trump State Department, he didn’t have any concerns about job security. The firm—which consults for at least two Russian state entities, according to its website—proudly announced that Galaviz would be back after his stint at State. Galaviz himself consulted for a Russian government corporation on casino gambling.

It’s a situation that has left ethics experts baffled.

“We look forward to welcoming back Jonathan to GMA after he completes his service with the Trump administration,” Global Market Advisors managing partner Steve Gallaway told a casino trade publication when Galaviz took the State Department job in April.

Until Tuesday afternoon, the company’s website listed Galaviz as its chief strategist.

“Note: Mr. Galaviz is currently on unpaid leave from GMA while serving in the Trump Administration in Washington DC on a full-time basis at the U.S. Department of State,” read his bio page.

The Trump administration hasn’t shied away from ethically dicey situations. But ethics experts say this is one of the strangest.

“I’ve never seen this arrangement, to be honest with you, for somebody who is taking a position in the U.S. government to be on unpaid leave from a for-profit entity,” said Virginia Canter, the executive branch ethics counsel at the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

“It borders on recklessness. It exposes him to some serious potential for conflicts of interest,” she added. “This arrangement carries a high degree of risk and he will probably need a lawyer following him around to make sure he understands each and every day what he can and cannot participate in.”

According to his LinkedIn page, he’s an advisor “focused on various high-level strategic initiatives.” A State Department official told The Daily Beast that Galaviz was based as of June 11 at the State Department’s J Bureau, which includes the Office of Global Criminal Justice, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. The official also said Galaviz has received guidance on his recusal obligations, and that he was listed as a Transition Team advisor as of Feb. 8, 2017.

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