Prof. Richard Painter Interviewed by CNN About Additional Potential Conflicts of Interest by Trump

Professor Richard Painter, S. Walter Richey Professor of Corporate Law, was interviewed by CNN about Donald Trump’s purchase of up to $2 million in Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery investments days after the announcement of a megadeal between the two media giants, among other purchases, according to a financial disclosure from the White House, renewing questions from ethics experts around potential conflicts of interest. Prof. Painter said Trump’s purchase of Netflix and other corporate bonds are another “sliver” of potential conflicts, in addition to concerns about the president’s cryptocurrency involvements. He said, “This is just one more investment that might very well conflict with his official duties, but by no means is it the most serious.” He said it’s “unprecedented” for Trump to not avoid conflicts of interest as much as possible, adding, “Every other president has voluntarily avoided conflicts of interest, even though the conflict of interest statute doesn’t apply to the president.”