December 17, 2024
David Huitema, Director
I am honored to start my term as the Director of OGE. Every day OGE and ethics programs across the executive branch work to help officials meet their obligations under the federal ethics laws. The ethics community assists the administration as a whole and supports incoming appointees and all federal employees individually, as well. I am deeply committed to this mission of service.
Helping officials comply with their ethics obligations builds public confidence that employees are focused on the important substance of their work—implementing programs for the benefit of the American people and executing the administration’s policy priorities—free of any personal conflict. Compliance with the federal ethics rules supports the implementation of effective policy by ensuring that officials do not have competing personal interests and by avoiding scandals that can distract from an agency’s important work.
I am joining OGE at the start of an important and busy time for the Office and for ethics officials across the executive branch. The Presidential election marks the beginning of a vital phase of work for the ethics community. Over the next months the executive branch ethics program will work with individuals chosen by the President for new leadership roles. This work ensures that they can begin their important roles free from the obstacles caused by potential conflicts of interest, which could prevent them from being effective in their jobs. This work is also of benefit to the new officials themselves. OGE aims to ensure agency officials understand the ethics rules that apply while in government service and beyond, so they are well prepared to avoid pitfalls. Ethics vetting of nominees also provides useful information for the Senate in its role of providing advice and consent.
This is a challenging time for OGE’s own team and for agency ethics programs and their staff. Conducting conflict of interest reviews of nominees and appointees can require an incredible amount of work. It is important to be both thorough and as efficient as possible. In 2016 and 2020, when I led the ethics office at the State Department, I recall phone calls and emails with the previous OGE Directors and counsel for nominees over the Christmas holiday and on New Year’s Eve. We worked together to chart a path for nominees to divest from investments and business entanglements and to complete ethics reviews so that critical leadership positions could be filled quickly following the President’s inauguration. In the months ahead, I know that ethics officials across government will be taking similar calls, reviewing financial disclosure reports, and drafting ethics agreements on holidays, weekends, and through late nights.
To my colleagues in ethics programs across the government, please know that OGE supports you. We share your commitment to doing this work. I and everyone at OGE know the demands will be high. With regard to the ethics review of nominees and new appointees, there will be pressure to move fast, and we must all be as efficient as possible. But there is no short cut. Ethics officials must ensure that reporting requirements are followed, that reports are complete, and that potential conflicts are evaluated. Ultimately, we must do our work well, in order to help officials avoid violations of the criminal conflict of interest laws and the federal ethics regulations. Together, we will do all we can to ensure the incoming administration has leaders ready to serve, free from conflicts of interest, as quickly as possible.
I also know that vetting nominees and new appointees is only one part of the executive branch ethics program’s broad responsibilities. Every day, ethics officials are undertaking important work—and that work will continue this year as well. OGE will continue to support you as you train employees, issue routine advice and counsel, and manage the annual financial disclosure reviews for career officials.
To those beyond the ethics community, please know that OGE and agency ethics officials are ready and committed to the work that lies ahead. While I am starting my role as Director today, I have spent most of the last decade with the ethics program at the Department of State. I have gotten to know OGE, its terrific staff, and many outstanding ethics officials across the executive branch. My ethics colleagues have been preparing for this moment for more than a year. Since 1978, the ethics program has built a wealth of experience helping incoming administrations. This coming year will continue that tradition. The challenge only seems to grow with each transition, but I and my colleagues at OGE and across the ethics community will do our best to meet the challenge with professionalism and dedication.