Alaska Senator Ted Stevens was indicted on Tuesday, July 29, 2008, by a federal grand jury for failure to report more than a quarter million dollars of gifts from a contractor who provided free renovations to Stevens’ home, in addition to other gifts. For the complete story, visit the Seattle Times to read their article on the subject.
Public officials, especially elected officials, are held to a high standard when it comes to drawing a bright line concerning their relationship with the business community. As stewards of the public trust, public officials should not profit from gifts or favors received from contractors and consultants they do business with or might do business with. The public expects that public officials will maintain the highest standards of ethics so that there are no conflicts or interest, apparent conflicts of interest, or attempts to buy the favor of public officials. This is a particularly important area for those responsible for government procurement and contracting to pay close attention to.
If you find yourself in a situation where you even have to ask the question of whether a particular action is ethical and appropriate, it may be an indicator that there would, at a minimum, be an apparent ethical issue involved. And, of course, there is always the “front page” test: how would a particular action look on the front page of the daily newspaper and would you want to see your name there describing your actions. Another question to ask is “what would a reasonable person assume?” about the meaning of a particular gift or action.
Many public agencies have written standards of ethics related to acceptance of gifts. It is important that public employees not only know about these standards but receive training so they can identify issues of concern as they arise. If your agency would like training in this area, please feel free to contact me.
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