DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY WASHINGTON, O.C. SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY March 31, 2017 The Honorable Walter M. Shaub, Jr. Director U.S. Office of Government Ethics 1201 New York Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005 Dear Mr. Shaub: I am writing concerning the press reports related to the response I provided to a question posed to me at the end of a wide-ranging interview with Axios on Friday, March 24, 2017. As a final question, the interviewer asked me specifically if I had any movie recommendations. Although I included a disclaimer indicating that it was not my intention to promote any product, I ended my response to that light-hearted question with words that could reasonably have been interpreted to encourage the questioner to see a film with which I was associated. I should not have made that statement. I want to assure you that I was aware of the rule against using public office to promote a particular product, as I specifically acknowledged in the interview, and in responding to the question posed by the interviewer, it was not my intention to make a product endorsement. When asked a similar question in a subsequent interview the next day, I refrained from providing a response and will act similarly in the future. I take very seriously my ethical responsibilities as a Presidential appointee and the head of the Department of the Treasury. Indeed, in advance of my confirmation, I sought and received an initial ethics briefing from Treasury's Designated Agency Ethics Official (DAEO) and have met with her frequently since then, including shortly after my interview on Friday. I intend to schedule a follow-up briefing with the DAEO on the rules of conduct. I fully appreciate the core ethics principle that public office is a public trust and that no employee may use his office for his own or others' private gain. I want to reassure you that I will exercise greater caution to avoid any suggestion that I do not take these important rules seriously. I will continue to work with the DAEO and her team to support the ethics program and promote an ethical culture within the Department of the Treasury. Sincerely, Steven T. Mnuchin _J