Letter: All Americans, including president and vice president, should be equal

I am deeply concerned about the potential for conflict of interests for the positions of president and vice president of the United States. I believe that these elected officials should adhere to the same ethics, rules of conduct, and laws required of cabinet members, members of Congress, and indeed, for all other positions of public service throughout the country.

To exempt the president and vice president from these ethics rules gives the appearance of elitism and has the potential to lead to significant disservice to average Americans who must live with the results of decisions.

I have made a request to our senators and representatives to take regulatory action that defines and regulates conflict of interest for both these offices. Statutes should include requirements that an independent third party (not family members) will operate businesses, monies, land, or other investments in a blind trust. The enactment needs to occur as soon as possible and be applied to the Trump administration.

Please take action and make all Americans equal, including the president and vice President.

This story was originally published December 15, 2016 at 1:41 AM with the headline "Letter: All Americans, including president and vice president, should be equal."