The End of Republican Accountability
When Senator Al Franken faced a sexual misconduct scandal last fall, the outcome was painful accountability. Allegations of unwanted touching – and intense pressure from senior members of his own party – forced the Minnesota Senator to resign.
The contrast to the GOP of Donald Trump is striking. For Republican politicians, accountability has lost all meaning. In recent months, America has seen GOP leaders, appointees and candidates violate the public trust – and in several cases, likely the law – with zero accountability within the White House or the party.
The deformation began at the top. Trump governs outside the ethical bounds of the presidency. And from day one, Republicans in Congress have effectively suspended the rule of law for him – in particular, permitting the president, his children and in-laws to profit from his office, without fear of reproach or reprisal.
The infection in the GOP body politic that began with Trump has spread throughout his cabinet, and to state level Republican politicians and candidates. These are men whose scandals – under the old rules of engagement, in the party of personal responsibility – would have forced them from the arena. But in the Trump era, they have hung on, often following the president's lead in painting themselves as victims of "witch hunts" and "fake news."
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https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/scott-pruitt-scandals-w519532?utm_source=rsnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=daily&utm_campaign=042718_11
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