While the recent executive order Donald Trump signed to review a rule that protects small Bodies Of Water from being polluted is strongly supported by owners of golf courses, it also has a lot of critics “teed off.” Why? Well, critics are questioning if Trump has a conflict of interest as his business holdings include at least a dozen golf courses. Critics are “teed off” because they think some of the executive orders Donald Trump is signing are just to line his pockets for when he isn’t POTUS anymore.
Some believe the conflict of interest is disturbing
Scott Amey – a representative of the Project on Government Oversight – commented on how “disturbing” the conflict of interest in this matter is. He went on to mention how concerning it was that Donald Trump did not step away from his businesses completely when he took office.
The executive order that has critics “teed off” is one that targets a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that went into effect when Obama was President. The rule protects wetlands, small creeks, and other smaller bodies of water via the Clean Water Act of 1972. Many experts believe protecting the smaller bodies of water is key to protecting the larger bodies of water.
Golf course owners support the executive order
Those who own golf courses – such as Donald Trump – were avidly against Obama’s rule because small bodies of water on golf courses fell into the category of water that had to be protected from pollution. As such, gold owners had to pay for costly measures to protect golf course water features.
Some were even subject to expensive fines for violating the rule.
In total, President Donald Trump is the owner of 17 different golf courses around the world. He owns golf courses in Florida, Ireland, Scotland, North Carolina, and California. This was a rule of Obama’s that Trump vowed to change when he became President as he believed it was a “federal overreach.”
Some believe Trump should recuse himself
A law professor from the University of Minnesota named Richard W.
Painter – who also severed as the White House’s chief lawyer of ethics while George W. Bush was in office – pointed out the fact that if Donald Trump were in charge of the EPA he would be required, legally, to sell all of his golf courses. The alternative would be to recuse himself of participating in making laws that could be conceived as a conflict of interest.
