Daily US Times: As President Donald Trump’s White House days are running out, he is rewarding some like-minded allies and supporters with the perks and prestige that come with serving on federal advisory boards and commissions.
President Trump on Thursday announced his intention to nominate two authors who wrote books that flattered him to a board that makes recommendations on education research. Another author who helped write a favorable book about Mr Trump was chosen for the same board a few days earlier.
The Department of Defense announced on Wednesday that China hawk Michael Pillsbury would become the chair of a board that gives Pentagon leadership advice on how to enhance national security. Pillsbury has served as an outside adviser to President Trump on China.
President Trump said on Tuesday that he would appoint Kellyanne Conway, his former counselor and 2016 campaign manager, to serve on the board of visitors to the US Air Force Academy. Going to the same board will be Heidi Stirrup, an ally Stephen Miller, a top Trump adviser.
She served as a White House liaison at the Justice Department and was told to vacate the building when top officials learned of her efforts to collect inside information about ongoing cases and the department’s work on election fraud.
Elaine Chao, Transportation Secretary, was among the appointees to the board of trustees at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She’s is the wife of Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union and a perpetuator of President Trump’s false claims of widespread election fraud, will become a member of the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board.
It’s not unusual for outgoing presidents to make a flurry of appointments of allies to commissions and boards before leaving the office. With three days to go in his tenure, President Barack Obama named national security advisor Susan Rice and senior advisor Valerie Jarrett to the Kennedy Center board.
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