POGO Supports Bill to Codify Appointee Ethics Pledges

May 17, 2017

The Honorable Jared Huffman

1406 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative Huffman:

I am proud to support your Executive Appointee Ethics Improvement Act. This bill will codify many of the best practices from the ethics executive orders implemented by Presidents Trump, Obama, and Clinton. Those orders had strong provisions extending bans on lobbying and prohibiting certain conflicts of interest for appointees entering and leaving the government. Codifying those orders would add continuity between administrations and prevent special interests from steering White House and agency policies, programs, and spending.

Founded in 1981, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that champions good government reforms. POGO’s investigations into corruption, misconduct, and conflicts of interest achieve a more effective, accountable, open, and ethical federal government. In that light, POGO supports your bill’s commonsense codification of best practice ethics standards for executive branch appointees, and we urge others to do the same.

Sincerely,

Danielle Brian

Executive Director