Trump forced staffers to sign unconstitutional non-disclosure pacts

Common Dreams-Amid reports that President Donald Trump demanded that his senior staffers sign non-disclosure agreements )—and threatened them with huge financial penalties if they breached the contracts—civil liberties advocates and legal experts said the documents show blatant disregard for public employees' constitutional rights.

"Public employees can't be gagged by private agreements. These so-called NDAs are unconstitutional and unenforceable," declared Ben Wizner, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, in a statement.

According to the Washington Post, which first reported on the agreements, White House staffers saw the documents as legally non-binding as well, but signed them to appease Trump.

"Some balked at first but, pressed by then-Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and the White House Counsel's Office, ultimately complied, concluding that the agreements would likely not be enforceable in any event," wrote Ruth Marcus on Sunday.