'These people!' Ethics guru dismayed as Mike Huckabee scrambles to excuse cash grab

Mike Huckabee remains a paid pitchman for a dietary supplement while serving as President Donald Trump’s U.S. ambassador to Israel, even after he was called out on the arrangement, according to a report.

The former Arkansas governor is being paid more than $414,000 for appearing in TV ads promoting a supplement known as Relaxium, which is made by American Behavioral Research Institute. A recording of Huckabee's voice greets callers when they dial a 1-800 number listed in the commercials, reported NOTUS.

“I trust Relaxium Sleep, and so should you,” Huckabee tells viewers as an American flag flaps in the background. “Get the best night of sleep, guaranteed. Don’t wait another minute. Call now.”

NOTUS reporter Dave Levinthal, a former editor-in-chief for Raw Story, contacted the American Behavioral Research Institute last week for more information about Huckabee's relationship with the company, which markets Relaxium as a “carefully formulated blend of drug-free ingredients known for their sleep-inducing and calming properties.”

"Shortly after NOTUS last week contacted the American Behavioral Research Institute ... both the Huckabee video and phone recordings disappeared," the outlet reported. "As of Tuesday, versions of the Huckabee video remained on Relaxium’s Facebook and Vimeo pages."

Huckabee filed a required financial disclosure last year showing the makers of Relaxium had paid him $414,683 for “spokesman endorsement fees,” and he also disclosed that he expected to receive additional payments for advertising the supplement, but he told the Office of Government Ethics after his diplomatic nomination that he couldn't "readily ascertain" how much he would be paid.

The U.S. Embassy Jerusalem told NOTUS the ads were created before he was confirmed to one of the most high-profile diplomatic posts in the world and did not identify him as the ambassador, and the embassy claimed Huckabee has “no legal right” to ask American Behavioral Research Institute to stop using the ads.

"Asked whether he still backs the product, the embassytold Dave inan official statement that Huckabee 'used the product every night and has for several years that pre-dated his being a spokesperson by at least two years,'" NOTUS reported, adding italics for emphasis.

Walter Shaub, former director of the Office of Government Ethics and a longtime Trump critic, was flabbergasted by Huckabee's continued association with Relaxium.

“Oh, for ----- sake,” Shaub said. “These people.”

Peter Loge, director of the Project on Ethics in Political Communication at The George Washington University, agreed the arrangement was improper.

“Government officials should not, and should not appear to be, endorsing a commercial product – full stop,” Loge said. “This could easily lead one to believe that Ambassador Huckabee is in public service for private gain.”