Revocation of Executive Order 13770
Revokes the 2017 executive order that required executive branch appointees to sign binding ethics pledges, with the revocation taking effect at noon on January 20, 2021, immediately freeing current and former employees from those commitments.
What this order does
What it orders
The order revokes Executive Order 13770 of January 28, 2017, titled "Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Appointees," effective at noon on January 20, 2021. From that moment forward, employees and former employees who had been subject to the ethics commitments under EO 13770 are no longer bound by them.
The order contains standard general provisions specifying that it does not impair existing legal authorities of executive departments or the Office of Management and Budget, must be implemented consistent with applicable law and available appropriations, and creates no enforceable legal rights for any party.
Who it affects
Current and former executive branch political appointees who were bound by the ethics pledges contained in EO 13770, which covered restrictions such as lobbying limitations and cooling-off periods. Those obligations are extinguished as of noon January 20, 2021.
Why it matters
Executive branch appointees who signed the ethics pledge under EO 13770 — including restrictions on lobbying their former agencies — are no longer subject to those commitments. The practical effect depends on what separate statutory or regulatory ethics rules continue to apply independently of the revoked order.
Authority and reach
What this order changes
Revokes Executive Order 13770