The U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) has issued its annual Conflict of Interest Prosecution Survey. The survey contains summaries of 11 recent prosecutions involving the conflict of interest criminal statutes, 18 U.S.C. §§ 202-209, and other related laws.
As OGE's Director Walter Shaub has explained, "the survey illustrates the high standards to which federal employees are held and the potential consequences for the few found to have violated the public's trust." The survey provides examples of how the criminal conflict of interest laws are applied in real-world situations, making abstract principles concrete. The survey also serves as a deterrent by showing that violators of ethics laws will be held accountable.
Summaries of prosecutions reported to OGE for past years can be found on OGE's website under the topic of "Enforcement."
Published July 31, 2015