There is one constant value that’s expected of all our political leaders — a strong set of ethics. Possessing ethical values is a sine qua non for any political leader, regardless of political affiliation. Ethical values are the bedrock of a leader. When ethical leaders make decisions, they are holding themselves accountable for their actions. Decisions are made because they are the right thing to do for those a leader represents — not because they benefit the leader.

Unfortunately, President Donald Trump has a different set of ethical standards that he subscribes to. Several of his recent actions are concerning and certainly cross into the ethical realm — the $400 million gift from Qatar of a Boeing 747 that Trump wants to accept, a $5.5 billion deal by the Trump Organization to build a resort in Qatar and another multi-billion deal to build a Trump International Hotel and Tower in Dubai.

The most concerning matter, however, is Trump’s and his family’s venture into cryptocurrency. What’s puzzling is that in his first term in office, Trump referred to cryptocurrency as “not money,” saying it was volatile and its value “based on thin air.” During his second campaign, however, he shifted his stance, becoming the first major candidate to accept donations in the form of cryptocurrency.

According to a report from the group State Democracy Defenders Action, Trump’s venture into crypto products has increased his family’s wealth by billions of dollars in the past six months alone — all occurring while the government loosens its approach to regulating the digital currency industry.

State Democracy Defenders Action estimates that crypto holdings represent 40% of Trump’s net worth — approximately $2.9 billion. The increase is largely due to the release of the $TRUMP AND $MELANIA meme coins late last year and a larger stake in World Liberty Financial (WLF).

WLF is a crypto exchange that launched last fall. Trump’s two sons have strongly promoted WLF. One of WLF’s co-founders is Zach Witkoff, son of long-time Trump friend Steve Witkoff who is now serving as President Trump’s special envoy. In May, WLF announced that it would play a large role in a $2 billion investment deal by an Abu Dhabi financial fund in the crypto exchange Binance. Binance pleaded guilty to U.S. money laundering in 2023, among other violations.

Not surprisingly, a New York Times investigation described WLF as “eviscerating the boundary between private enterprise and government policy in a manner without precedent in modern American history.”

Trump recently hosted a dinner at his northern Virginia golf club for the top individuals holding the $TRUMP meme coin. An invitation to the dinner was openly sold with the top 220 holders being invited. When the contest was announced, there was a flurry of activity in purchasing the coins.

One of the attendees at the dinner was Justin Sun, a Chinese billionaire who purchased more than $40 million of the $TRUMP meme coin. Sun reportedly had already invested at least $75 million in WLF. In 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Sun of fraud. But after Trump assumed office, the SEC put its lawsuit on hold and dropped other crypto investigations and prosecutions of over a dozen crypto firms.

Attendees at the Trump dinner openly admitted that they were using the dinner to urge the president to loosen regulations on the crypto industry. Half of the top 220 dinner attendees reportedly bought their coins using foreign exchanges. This suggests that most of the buyers are foreigners, certainly a red flag to those familiar with the crypto and financial world.

“People are paying to meet Trump and he’s the regulator in chief. It’s doubly corrupt. This is unprecedented. I don’t think there’s been anything like this in American history,” says Professor Richard Briffault, a Columbia University legal scholar on government ethics.

During Trump’s first campaign for the White House, he told voters he wanted to come to Washington and “drain the swamp.”

He was referring to the corruption he perceived in government. He continued to echo corruption during his second campaign by making allegations regarding President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.

It’s time for both sides of the congressional aisles to have the courage to put political affiliation aside and say, “This disregard for ethics by our president must be addressed.” But right now, as The Atlantic said in a recent article, “Congress today is supine … Congress doesn’t seem to care.” The courts seem to have rolled over as well.

“Trump has taken corruption to a new level. He seems singularly motivated to deregulate the crypto industry for the financial benefit of himself and his family. I wish I was still in Congress so I could vote to impeach the guy,” says former Republican congressman David Trott of Michigan.

Even Tucker Carlson, who campaigned with Trump last year, expressed concern in a podcast when discussing Trump’s family business deals. When the podcast host said, “That stuff kind of worries me,” Carlson responded by saying, “Well, it seems like corruption, yeah.”

Tom Jurkowsky is a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Navy who served on active duty for 31 years. He is the author of the book “The Secret Sauce for Organizational Success: Communications and Leadership on the Same Page.” He served on the Anne Arundel Community College faculty as an adjunct instructor where he lectured on current affairs.