Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel
Headline: Appointees Required to Sign Government Ethics Pledge and Follow Revolving Door Rules
What it does: Agencies must ensure every new executive appointee signs the ethics pledge and adopt rules to enforce gift and revolving‑door restrictions.
- Requires new appointees to refuse gifts from registered lobbyists during service.
- Limits post-government lobbying and employment for two years, stricter for senior staff.
- Requires OMB to grant waivers and ethics offices to report on pledge administration.
Summary
This order requires every executive-branch appointee appointed on or after January 20, 2021, to sign an ethics pledge that bans gifts from registered lobbyists and limits post‑government lobbying and work for former employers and clients. It defines who counts as an appointee and which agencies are included or excluded, and sets specific restrictions like two‑year revolving‑door bans and a golden parachute ban.
The order directs agency ethics officials to implement the pledge, allows the Office of Management and Budget to grant limited waivers, and authorizes enforcement and reporting by ethics officials and the Attorney General.
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