Legal Definitions - Office of Government Ethics

The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) is an independent agency within the executive branch of the U.S. federal government. Its primary role is to promote ethical conduct and prevent conflicts of interest among federal employees.

The OGE achieves this by:

• Establishing and enforcing government-wide ethics rules and regulations.
• Reviewing financial disclosure reports from senior officials to identify potential conflicts.
• Providing ethics guidance and advice to federal agencies and individual employees.
• Overseeing and monitoring the ethics programs of various government departments and agencies.
• Developing and delivering ethics training programs.

Here are some examples of how the Office of Government Ethics operates:

• Imagine a high-level official at the Department of Energy is considering accepting a lucrative job offer from a private energy company immediately after leaving government service. Before accepting, the official would likely consult with their agency's ethics office, which, in turn, might seek guidance from the OGE. The OGE would then provide an interpretation of post-government employment restrictions and potential conflict of interest rules to ensure the official's transition complies with federal ethics laws.

• When a new appointee is nominated to a senior position, such as a director of a federal agency, they are required to submit detailed financial disclosure reports. The OGE reviews these reports to identify any investments, assets, or outside positions that could create a conflict of interest with their new government duties. If a conflict is found, the OGE might advise the nominee to divest certain holdings or recuse themselves from specific decisions.

• A large federal department, like the Department of Defense, wants to ensure all its employees understand the rules regarding accepting gifts from contractors. The OGE develops comprehensive training materials and provides guidance to the department's ethics officials, who then deliver the training to thousands of employees. The OGE also periodically audits the department's ethics program to ensure it is effectively preventing and addressing ethical breaches.