On the campaign trail President Donald Trump indicated he would release Jeffrey Epstein's "client list," a promise to pull back the curtain on what many Americans perceive to be a shadowy coverup. It's since become a thorn in the president's foot, spinning a media cycle that finds him on the defensive.

Last week Trump reversed course and signed a bill that was reluctantly passed by Republicans in Congress forcing the Epstein files release. The monthslong drama promises to finally provide what Americans have been asking for — transparency. Still, much of the damage has already been done. Just 20% of voters, including less than half of Republicans, approve of Trump's handling of the issue, according to recent polling.

The release may finally spell an end to the Epstein circus for the Trump administration, but it is indicative of a bigger problem: persistent conflict of interest accusations.

Less than a year into his second term, Trump has been dogged by allegations of conflict-of-interest violations between his administration and his children's businesses. Such claims are rich coming from Democrats, who have often experienced inexplicable windfalls during their public service careers.

Nevertheless, the coincidences between Trump's policy priorities and his family business arrangements that raise suspicion are at a tipping point. Yet congressional oversight is nowhere to be found. The fall guy won't be the president but rather Republicans at large, if there isn't a course correction.

The list of questionable deals brokered by Trump or his family members appears to grow almost daily — from accepting a private jet from Qatar, to a $40 million biopic about the first lady greenlit by Amazon following a meeting with Jeff Bezos, to a growing crypto firm with dubious investors, to memberships at private clubs, to foreign business deals. Not to mention a ballroom renovation that's cast a shadow of pay-for-play favoritism.

Trump's pardon list is equally confounding. Since resuming office, the president has issued nearly 2,000 pardons and commutations — compared to only 238 during his first term. It hasn't helped the president's public appearance.

During a "60 Minutes" interview this month, when asked whether his family's involvement in cryptocurrency affected his decision to pardon Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, Trump claimed: "I have no idea who he is. I was told that he was a victim (of the Biden administration)."

The conversation was fodder for the left. Trump — who rightly hammered Biden for having no idea who he was pardoning and for his son's profiteering off his family's political connections — appeared culpable for the very same kind of misconduct.

The Trump administration has asserted that the executive privilege precludes the president from conflict-of-interest rules, which limit the gifts that elected officials can receive and the businesses they can engage in. That's not wrong. But the exemption is intended to allow a president to address any issue that comes across his or her desk, not a hall pass to use their public office to engage in family side hustles.

Regardless of the small-print details, the president of the United States ought to conduct him or herself beyond reproach, even if the issue is only optics. There's an old adage that sunshine is the best disinfectant. In politics it means that transparency is the best answer to public criticism. That's a principle that Congress and Trump should take to heart.

Politics is a different game than Wall Street dealmaking — it's played in bold print on national headlines, and perception matters. Transparency is necessary to drive a policy agenda.

While Trump is a different breed than most in Washington — the anti-politician who seems to revel, and flourish, in criticism — the conflict of interest concerns he finds himself in, even if just appearances, are sapping his political capital and complicating his chances of achieving his policy goals. And, as the party leader, they are jeopardizing Republicans' chances of maintaining control, which will largely determine the president's legacy.

In the Epstein fiasco, Congress finally stepped in and did its job, producing the results that Americans have long demanded. Republicans shouldn't be afraid to demand the same kind of transparency between the president's policy initiatives and his family's business deals. If congressional Republicans don't act soon, voters are likely to turn control of the House and Senate over to Democrats, who certainly would be more interested in witch-hunting than fact-finding.

Ken Buck served in the United States House of Representatives from 2015-2024 representing Colorado's 4th congressional district. He now serves as a Fellow with the Independent Center. To find out more about Ken Buck and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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