Office of Government Ethics

The Office of Government Ethics (OGE), established by the Ethics in Government Act (1978), is a small, executive branch agency created to prevent conflicts of interest on the part of government employees and to resolve conflicts of interest when they occur. Executive-branch employees hold their positions as a public trust and are expected to place loyalty to the Constitution, United States laws, and ethical principles above their private gain. By executive order (President George H. W. Bush, 1989), public employees cannot use public office for private gain and must impartially (i.e., not give preferential treatment to any private organization or individual). When new government officials are appointed, the news media will frequently provide information about financial disclosures, BLIND TRUSTs, and potential conflicts of interests. The OGE processes government employee financial-disclosure statements, reviews blind trusts established to avoid a CONFLICT OF INTEREST, and advises government officials when it would be appropriate to recuse or remove themselves from a particular government policy decision because of such a conflict. The OGE is responsible for a variety of ethical guidelines for government employees, including
• gifts from outside sources, generally allowing anything under $20 in value or from family or personal relationships
• gifts between employees, generally allowing gifts valued at no more than $10 or food and refreshments shared in an office among employees
• conflicting financial interests, including the employee, his or her family or general partner, or the organization in which the employee serves as an officer, director, trustee, or general partner
• outside activities, prohibiting an employee from being paid for teaching, speaking, or writing related to their official duties, except at accredited teaching institutions
• honoraria, generally allowing payments for an appearance, speech, or article, provided that the activity does not relate to the employee’s official duties
• Post-EMPLOYMENT regulations barring employees from representing others that in any way relates to their official capacity for two years after leaving government. Certain high-level officials are barred from making any appearance on behalf of any person before their former agency for one year. (This is known as the “revolvingdoor syndrome,” in which former officials become high-paid consultants for clients seeking benefits from government agencies.)
• financial disclosure, requiring certain senior officials to file a report detailing their interests in property, INCOME, gifts and reimbursements, liabilities, agreements, and outside positions