Donald Trump delays announcement on resolving business conflicts until January

President-elect Donald Trump is postponing until January a news conference scheduled for later this week that was meant to lay out what he plans to do about his business operations while in the White House, senior transition officials told Bloomberg News Monday.

Trump tweeted in late November that on Dec. 15, he would reveal his plans for dealing with any conflicts of interest. The transition officials said he has been so busy working to fill his Cabinet and top administration posts that he needs additional time for the business announcement. They did not say when the news conference will be held in January, but it will take place before the inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017, well after the Electoral College votes on Dec. 19. Trump has already found something else to do on the 15th — he's planning on going to Hershey, Pennsylvania, for a stop on his "Thank You Tour 2016."

Ethics lawyers from both the Obama and George W. Bush administrations have repeatedly called on Trump, who never released his tax return, to be transparent and sell his companies to avoid conflicts. A July analysis by Bloomberg found Trump having $3.6 billion in assets and $630 million of debt held in more than 500 companies across 20 countries.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up