Same thing with the whole Chris Christie " Buffett taking Social Security etc.."


Yes - at least the Chris Christie accusation states the premises a little more clearly.

Christie: “I don’t know if Warren Buffett is collecting Social Security but if he is, shame on you,” said Christie. “You shouldn’t be taking the money.”

ProPublica, paraphrased*: I don't have any dates on these transactions which would allow me to judge whether they are in conflict of interest or, rather, whether they are precisely to avoid the conflict of interest, but if they are in conflict of interest, they contradict Buffett's claims of avoiding conflicts of interest.

In both cases, the appropriate response is, if you ever get something concrete to talk about, then maybe I'll talk about it. And shame on Christie and Sorkin for making such hypothetical accusations.


(I might also mention that there is no shame in taking whatever deductions, credits, and benefits you might qualify for, regardless of your financial status, and all the more so if you are giving 99% of your fortune to charity anyways.)

dtb

*Literally: "On at least three occasions, Buffett has traded stocks in his personal account in the same quarter or the quarter before Berkshire bought or sold shares of the same companies, doing so before the conglomerate’s moves were disclosed to the public.

These trades may violate Berkshire’s ethics policies, authored by Buffett himself, which require “all actual and anticipated securities transactions of Berkshire” be publicly disclosed before Berkshire employees can trade the stocks personally."