Career executives warned not to question election outcome

Controversy surrounding the presidential election should have no bearing on the way senior managers perform their jobs once the new President is named, officials of the Senior Executives Association (SEA) say. In a letter sent to members on Thursday, SEA leaders asserted that career federal workers "have a special responsibility to serve the next administration as we would any other, whether elected by landslide or the slimmest of margins." The organization advocates and lobbies for members of the Senior Executive Service, the government's elite cadre of career leaders. According to the letter, signed by 17 association officers, members are expected to remain professional and impartial, and are cautioned not to "question the legitimacy of our next President and his administration." Career senior executives should serve as role models in their agencies, SES said. "We encourage each of you to affirm and demonstrate this commitment to officials of the new administration, your employees, and the public at large," the letter said. "Most of you do this as a matter of course, but given our nation's present circumstances, we believe that this message is even more important now, at this critical juncture in our history," the letter said.