It's not that hard for public servants to avoid corruption
8 June 2025
My father, Larry Pernick, of blessed memory, served as Chair of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners in the early 1970s. One year, he received a beautiful holiday gift package from a local bank and I eagerly eyed the delicious treats inside. But my dad returned it immediately - he couldn’t accept gifts from businesses that worked with the county, as it could compromise his judgment and was simply improper.
Contrast that with Donald J. Trump, whose corruption is unprecedented in American history. Unlike most presidents, Trump aggressively used his office for personal enrichment.
Trump’s corruption is truly unprecedented in American history. It’s rare for presidents to try and use the office of the presidency to increase their own personal wealth, especially to the extent that Trump has. In a recent piece for The New Yorker, Evan Osnos described Trump’s self-dealing this way: “Even seasoned practitioners of Washington pay-to-play have been startled by the new rules for buying influence…[a] lobbying veteran described the frank exchange as ‘outer-borough Mafia s***.’” Patriotic Millionaires
Trump hosted private White House dinners for major speculators in his cryptocurrency, raking in $900,000 in fees in less than two days - a senator called it “the most brazenly corrupt thing a president has ever done.” He dismantled the enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, enabling his team to take payments from foreign entities with ease. He forced a quid pro quo with NYC Mayor Eric Adams, securing loyalty in exchange for dropped charges - all televised live. Robert Reich
Trump’s U.S. Attorney in D.C., Ed Martin, launched Operation Whirlwind to intimidate critics of Trump and Musk, trolling opponents and threatening anyone who challenged their activities. Meanwhile, Trump sells access to himself: $1 million to dine with him at Mar-a-Lago, and $5 million for private CEO meetings. Washington Post
Avoiding corruption isn’t complicated for public servants. They must understand that personal gain from their position is off limits. They should consider whether their actions would hold up under the scrutiny of the evening news. If someone is driven by greed or obsessed with wealth, public service is not the right path.
If you don’t see how profoundly corrupt Trump is, you’re either not paying attention or are caught in a cult that would defend him no matter what—even if shot someone on Fifth Avenue.
As citizens, or even as those who want America to succeed, we must demand integrity and challenge those who abuse power. Saying “I don’t care” or “I’m too busy” is not an option. Find a cause or group and get involved today.
The index to my prior essays (mostly post 5 November 2024) is here.
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It’s very sad that those kind of values and convictions are considered old-fashioned and are replaced with greed and the thirst for power