Office of Government Ethics in the United States
The Office of Government Ethics directs executive branch policies related to
preventing con?icts of interest on the part of Government employees and resolving
those con?icts of interest that do occur.
The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) is an executive branch agency established
under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, as amended (5 U.S.C. app. 401).
The Director of OGE is appointed by the President with the advice and consent
of the Senate for a 5-year term.
Activities
The Office of Government Ethics develops appropriate ethics policies
for the executive branch through the promulgation of regulations on
Standards of Ethical Conduct, public and con?dential financial disclosure
of executive branch of?cials, ethics training programs, and the identi?cation
and resolution of actual and potential con?icts of interest by reviewing the
financial disclosure reports submitted by nominees to, the incumbents of, and
those leaving executive branch positions requiring Presidential appointment with enate con?rmation. These financial disclosure reports are also available for
public inspection.
The OGE also provides education and training to 6,000 ethics of?cials through
instructor-led and Web-based training programs; assesses the effectiveness
of public and con?dential financial disclosure systems maintained by over
130 executive branch agencies; maintains an extensive program to provide advice
on Standards of Ethical Conduct and con?ict of interest laws; conducts onsite
reviews of agency ethics programs; orders corrective action on the part of agencies
and employees, including orders to establish or modify an agency’s ethics
program; evaluates the effectiveness of the Ethics Act, the con?ict of interest
laws, and other related statutes and recommending appropriate changes; and
provides technical assistance in support of U.S. international anticorruption and
good governance initiatives.
For further information, contact the Office of Government Ethics, Suite 500, 1201 New York Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20005–3917. Phone, 202–482–9300. TTY, 800–877–8339. Fax, 202–482–9237. Email, contactoge@oge.gov. Internet, http://www.usoge.gov.
Office of Government Ethics
Introduction to Office of Government Ethics
Office of Government Ethics, agency of the U.S. federal government, established on January 1, 1979, to safeguard against conflicts of interest and abuse of public trust by federal officials. The agency, set up under the provisions of the Ethics in Government Act (1978), operates within the Office of Personnel Management. Its main function is to review financial disclosure statements required of all high-level federal employees. In addition to income, other assets, and liabilities, these statements must report any agreements for future employment. Fines or other penalties may be imposed on anyone who willfully gives false information or fails to file a disclosure statement as required by law.
Under the 1978 act, federal officials are prohibited for one year after their term of office ends from representing an outside employer before their former agency; exceptions are made for those employed by state or local governments, institutions of higher learning, or medical facilities. A special prosecutor may be appointed to investigate violations.” (1)
Resources
Notes and References
- Information about Office of Government Ethics in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia
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