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  1. Home
  2. Publications
  3. Government Ethics
Home Government Ethics
  1. Publications
Principles of the Law,

Government Ethics

This work enunciates principles and best practices that reflect the emerging law of government ethics and shape its future development. Focused on the legislative and executive branches of government, topics include public employee participation and use of public resources in election campaigns and partisan activities, gifts to public officials, conflicts of interest involving the private activities of public officials, the political uses of public office, post-employment restrictions, and administration and enforcement mechanisms.

Reporter:
Richard Briffault, Columbia University School of Law, New York, NY 
Associate Reporters:
Richard W. Painter, University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, MN [from 2014]
Kathleen Clark, Washington University School of Law, Saint Louis, MO [to 2014]

Tentative Draft No. 4 (softbound)

152 pages, 2023, #1PGETD4

Tentative Draft No. 4 contains Chapter 1, Purpose, Scope, and Definitions; Chapter 3, Conflicts of Interest and Outside Activities of Public Servants; and § 401 of Chapter 4, Election-Related Activities of Public Servants. The membership voted to approve this draft at the 2023 Annual Meeting, subject to the discussion at the Meeting and editorial prerogative. This material may be cited as representing the Institute’s position until the official text is published.

Table of Contents

Section                                                                                                                                        Page

Project Status at a Glance............................................................................................................ xiv

Foreword...................................................................................................................................... xv

Reporters’ Memorandum............................................................................................................. xvi

Chapter 1

Purpose, Scope, and Definitions

§ 101. Purpose................................................................................................................................ 1

§ 102. Scope.................................................................................................................................... 3

§ 103. Definitions............................................................................................................................ 7

Chapter 3

Conflicts of Interest and Outside Activities of Public Servants

Introductory Note.......................................................................................................................... 13

Part A

General Principles

§ 301. Public Office for the Public Good, Not Private Gain......................................................... 15

§ 302. Avoiding Financial Conflicts of Interest............................................................................ 15

§ 303. Avoidance of Bias in Government Matters Affecting the Legal Rights of Specific Parties...................................................................................................................................... 19

Part B

Specific Provisions

§ 311. Prohibition on Participation in Particular Matters that Involve Financial Conflict of Interest........................................................................................................................................... 23

§ 312. Prohibition on Acquisition or Retention of Certain Financial Interests............................. 40

§ 313. Duty to Avoid Bias in Particular Matters Involving Specific Parties................................ 42

§ 314. Waiver of Financial Conflict-of-Interest and Impartiality Restrictions............................. 55

§ 315. Prohibition on Use and Disclosure of Nonpublic Government Information..................... 60

§ 316. Prohibition on Use of Public Resources for Private Benefit.............................................. 66

§ 317. Prohibition of Nepotism..................................................................................................... 71

§ 318. Appearance on Behalf of a Private Party Before a Government Agency or in a Proceeding Against the Government.................................................................................................... 76

§ 319. Fundraising......................................................................................................................... 84

Chapter 4

The Election-Related Activities of Public Servants

Part A

General Principle

§ 401. The Use of Public Resources in Election Campaigns........................................................ 89

Appendix A. Black Letter of Tentative Draft No. 4................................................................ 91

Appendix B. Black Letter of Sections Approved by Membership....................................... 103

$30.00

Tentative Draft No. 4 (Electronic PDF)

152 pages, 2023, #1PGETD4E

Tentative Draft No. 4 contains Chapter 1, Purpose, Scope, and Definitions; Chapter 3, Conflicts of Interest and Outside Activities of Public Servants; and § 401 of Chapter 4, Election-Related Activities of Public Servants. The membership voted to approve this draft at the 2023 Annual Meeting, subject to the discussion at the Meeting and editorial prerogative. This material may be cited as representing the Institute’s position until the official text is published.

$10.00

Tentative Draft No. 3 (Electronic PDF)

146 pages, 2021, #1PGETD3E

Tentative Draft No. 3 contains additional sections of Chapter 5, Restrictions on Leaving or Entering Public Service; Chapter 6, Disclosure, and Chapter 7, Administration and Enforcement of Ethics Provisions. The membership voted to approve this draft at the 2021 Annual Meeting, subject to the discussion at the Meeting and editorial prerogative. This material may be cited as representing the Institute’s position until the official text is published.

$10.00

Tentative Draft No. 2 (softbound)

132 pages, 2018, #1PGETD2

Tentative Draft No. 2 contains Chapter 2, Gifts from and Financial Relationships with Prohibited Sources (§§201, 211-221) and a portion of Chapter 5, Post-Government Employment Restrictions (§§ 501, 511-513). The draft was approved by the membership at the 2018 Annual Meeting, subject to the discussion at the Meeting and the usual editorial prerogative. This material may be cited as representing the Institute’s position until the official text of the entire project is published.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section                                                                                                                   Page

Status at a Glance .................................................................................................... xii

Foreword .................................................................................................................. xiii

Reporters’ Memorandum ......................................................................................... xvii

CHAPTER 2

GIFTS FROM AND FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH PROHIBITED SOURCES

PART A

GENERAL PRINCIPLE

§ 201. Restrictions on Gifts, Financial Transactions, and Financial Relationships ...... 1

PART B

SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

§ 211. Definitions ......................................................................................................... 10

§ 211A. Gift Solicited Because of Official Position ....................................................... 13

§ 212. Gift from a Prohibited Source ............................................................................ 14

§ 212A. Solicitation of Charitable Gift from a Prohibited Source .................................. 17

§ 213. Financial Transaction or Financial Relationship with a Prohibited Source ......... 18

§ 214. Gifts and Financial Transactions between Prohibited Sources and Family
Members of a Public Servant ......................................................................................... 26

§ 215. Prohibited Sources Who Are Also Family Members or Personal Friends
of Public Servants ........................................................................................................... 30

§ 216. Gifts of Complimentary Attendance at Events ...................................................... 35

§ 217. Payments for Travel, Meals, and Lodging ............................................................ 40

§ 218. Other Exceptions .................................................................................................. 45

§ 219. Agency Specific Variations .................................................................................... 50

§ 220. Gifts, Financial Transactions, and Financial Relationships between
Public Servants ................................................................................................................. 50

§ 221. Gifts to Legal-Defense Funds for Public Servants; Gifts of Legal Services
to Public Servants ............................................................................................................. 53

CHAPTER 5

POST-GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT RESTRICTIONS

Introductory Note ............................................................................................................... 59

PART A

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

§ 501. Avoidance of Conflict of Interest On and After Leaving Public Service .............. 60

PART B

 SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

§ 511. Seeking Post-Government Employment ............................................................................ 64

§ 512. Restriction on Post-Employment Participation in Particular Matters with 
Which the Former Public Servant Was Engaged as a Public Servant ............................... 72

§ 513. Restriction on Appearances Before or Communications with Former
Agency or Department ....................................................................................................... 80

Appendix A. Black Letter of Tentative Draft No. 2 ....................................................... 89

Appendix B. Other Relevant Black-Letter Text ............................................................ 105

$25.00

Tentative Draft No. 2 (Electronic PDF)

132 pages, 2018, #1PGETD2E

Tentative Draft No. 2 contains Chapter 2, Gifts from and Financial Relationships with Prohibited Sources (§§201, 211-221) and a portion of Chapter 5, Post-Government Employment Restrictions (§§ 501, 511-513). The draft was approved by the membership at the 2018 Annual Meeting, subject to the discussion at the Meeting and the usual editorial prerogative. This material may be cited as representing the Institute’s position until the official text of the entire project is published.

$10.00

Tentative Draft No. 1 (softbound)

62 pages, 2015, #1PGETD1

This draft contains Chapter 4 which addresses the need to place limits on the ability of government officers and employees to use public resources for their personal or partisan benefit in elections. The draft was approved by the membership at the 2015 Annual Meeting, subject to discussion at the meeting, including a suggestion that the Reporters give due consideration to the issue of off-duty activities of public employees, and to editorial prerogative. This material may be cited as representing the Institute’s position until the official text is published.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section                                                                                                                      Page

Foreword ....................................................................................................................... xi

Reporter’s Memorandum .............................................................................................. xv

CHAPTER 4

THE ELECTION RELATED ACTIVITIES OF PUBLIC SERVANTS

§ 401. Prohibition on the Use of Public Resources in Election Campaigns .................... 1

§ 402. Prohibition on the Use of Public Resources for Communications in 
Election Campaigns ........................................................................................................ 6

§ 403. Regulation of Publicly Funded Travel Related to Election Campaigns ............... 14

§ 404. Restrictions on Public-Employee Participation in Election Campaigns and
Partisan Activities ........................................................................................................... 21

Appendix. Black Letter of Tentative Draft No. 1 ........................................................... 39

$20.00

Tentative Draft No. 1 (Electronic PDF)

62 pages, 2015, #1PGETD1E

This draft contains Chapter 4 which addresses the need to place limits on the ability of government officers and employees to use public resources for their personal or partisan benefit in elections. The draft was approved by the membership at the 2015 Annual Meeting, subject to discussion at the meeting, including a suggestion that the Reporters give due consideration to the issue of off-duty activities of public employees, and to editorial prerogative. This material may be cited as representing the Institute’s position until the official text is published.

$10.00

Address

4025 Chestnut Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19104

215-243-1600

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