Some people close to the nomination process said that officials with the Office of Government Ethics, which works with nominees to decide how to deal with
potential conflicts, lacked an understanding of some of the more sophisticated financial investments held by nominees, making the process more difficult.
In a significant omission, the new administration early on did not ask cabinet nominees and top White House officials to fill out the “sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll” questionnaire
that has become a routine part of the nomination process.
After his election, Mr. Trump held court at Trump Tower in Manhattan, and other Trump properties, meeting with job candidates and celebrating the selection of his cabinet and White House staff —
but before the routine background scrubbing that typically occurs.
The new form, unlike the previous one used by the Obama administration, asks nominees just one question about conflicts of interest
and skips over queries about ties to corporations or investments in properties, according to a copy reviewed by .
