Ethics

Justice Department to Appeal Trump Special Master Order

Government prosecutors ask U.S. District Judge Cannon not to force them to hand over classified records seized in Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago while appeal is pending

  • Jacob Fischler, Idaho Capital Sun

GovExec Daily: The Law That Transformed the Civil Service

Tom Shoop joins the podcast to discuss the Pendleton Act

  • Ross Gianfortune and Adam Butler

What’s Next after the FBI Search of Trump’s Residence?

"What we do know is that they were executing a search warrant that suggested they had probable cause to believe that evidence would be found for three different crimes."

  • Futurity

A Bipartisan Bill Would Ban Top Feds From Trading Stocks

Violators would potentially face hefty fines.

  • Eric Katz

FBI’s Mar-a-Lago Search Warrant Affidavit Reveals How Trump May Have Compromised National Security – a Legal Expert Answers 5 Key Questions

A search warrant expert breaks down the affidavit the FBI used to search Mar-a-Lago, and the national security concerns it presents.

  • Clark D. Cunningham, The Conversation

Prosecuting a President Is Divisive and Sometimes Destabilizing – Here’s Why Many Countries Do It Anyway

Both sweeping immunity and overzealous prosecutions of former leaders can undermine democracy. But such prosecutions pose different risks for older democracies like the U.S. than in younger ones.

  • James D. Long, Victor Menaldo and Morgan Wack, The Conversation

You Don’t Have to Be a Spy to Violate the Espionage Act – and Other Crucial Facts about the Law Trump May Have Broken

Two national security law experts explain how the Espionage Act isn’t only about international intrigue, and share other important points about the law that was invoked in a search of Trump’s estate.

  • Tom Durkin and Joseph Ferguson, The Conversation

Here’s How Government Documents Are Classified to Keep Sensitive Information Safe

What are classified documents? Who gets to see them? What happens if they are released?

  • Jeffrey Fields, The Conversation

GovExec Daily: Congress and Investment in Defense Firms

The Project on Government Oversight's Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette and Nathan Siegel join the podcast to discuss ethics, Congress and the Pentagon budget.

  • Ross Gianfortune and Adam Butler

Search Warrant Shows Trump under Investigation for Possible Espionage Act Violations

The seven-page document includes a brief description of everything the FBI confiscated.

  • Jennifer Shutt, Nevada Current

GovExec Daily: What Happens After The Mar-A-Lago FBI Search?

Federal employment attorney Dan Mayer joins the podcast to discuss records management and what feds need to know.

  • Ross Gianfortune and Adam Butler

How the FBI Knew What to Search for at Mar-A-Lago – and Why the Presidential Records Act Is An Essential Tool for the National Archives and Future Historians

A presidential scholar sets the history and context for the battle over President Trump’s official records – and says it isn’t the first records battle between the government and a former president.

  • Shannon Bow O'Brien, The Conversation

New Photos Suggest How Trump, Flush with Power, May Have Sent Official Documents down the Toilet

Photos showing what appear to be torn-up documents in two different toilets may provide more evidence of the former president’s habit of destroying his presidential documents.

  • Shannon Bow O'Brien, The Conversation
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Feds Could Accept Donations of up to $10K for Legal Funds Under First-Ever Ethics Rule

Ethics office looks to create tighter oversight of who can donate to pay for federal workers' legal fees, but usual gift restrictions won't apply.

  • Eric Katz

She’s Supposed to Protect Americans From Toxic Chemicals. First, She Just Has to Fix Trump’s Mess and Decades of Neglect.

Biden promised to prioritize people over polluters. His pick to deliver that, Michal Freedhoff, is facing a bare-bones budget, demoralized staff and increasingly angry advocates.

  • Lydia DePillis, ProPublica

Fed Workers Should Be Careful About Donating Directly to Ukraine’s Military

Donations to an overseas government or agent have to be reported, and federal employees are responsible for ensuring their donation goes where it should.

  • Lindy Kyzer

An Investigation Has Found That Trump’s First Interior Secretary Violated His Ethics Obligations

The inspector general referred the matter to the Justice Department, but it declined to pursue criminal prosecution.

  • Courtney Bublé

All American Presidents Have Lied – the Question Is Why and When

A political philosopher argues that while all American presidents may lie, those who appear to lie for the public good are often celebrated.

  • Michael Blake, The Conversation

GovExec Daily: Feds Have to Follow Stronger Ethics Rules Than Members of Congress. Why?

The Project on Government Oversight's Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette and National Taxpayers Union's Andrew Lautz join the podcast to discuss members of Congress trading individual stocks and ethics.

  • Ross Gianfortune and Adam Butler

GovExec Daily: Biden's Ethics Promises Remain In-Progress

Courtney Bublé joins the podcast to discuss the administration's efforts toward long-term change.

  • Ross Gianfortune and Adam Butler

Despite Biden’s Efforts on Ethics, Some Observers Say More Safeguards Are Needed

“We’re in kind of a post-Watergate era right now,” said Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, government affairs manager at the Project on Government Oversight. “I think that’s exactly the time you want to do something like a reform of government ethics.”

  • Courtney Bublé