The scenario is all too common: After months of searching for the right candidate and weeks negotiating duties and compensation, a company finally hires a new employee to a position that will entail work on certain government policy issues. The employee seems to be a perfect fit, but after a few days on the job,
post-employment restrictions
Revisions to the Department of Defense “Revolving Door” Rules
Buried in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is an obscure, and quite significant, change to the post-employment restriction on U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) civilian and uniformed personnel. This new provision could have a substantial impact on defense contractors and others who recruit DoD personnel to work on policy and procurement matters before…
Covington Publishes Comprehensive Advisory Comparing Trump and Obama Executive Orders on Ethics
President Donald Trump this weekend signed his promised “drain the swamp” Executive Order, which imposes ethics restrictions on incoming and outgoing Trump Administration appointees. Incoming appointees would, of course, do well to carefully review the provisions of the Executive Order. But companies that deal with the Administration—whether by lobbying the executive branch, by seeing…
Trump Administration Executive Order on Ethics Breaks New Ground
President Trump signed an executive order on ethics this weekend that is similar in key respects to the Obama Administration’s executive order governing ethical conduct by presidential appointees. But in one key respect it is significantly broader in scope than the previous Obama executive order. The Trump executive order incorporates the concept of “lobbying activities,”…
OGE Updates Rules Governing Recruiting of Federal Employees to Private Sector Jobs
Companies are increasingly hiring out of the federal workforce, only to find that their new hires are restricted by “revolving door” rules that prohibit their participation in certain matters – sometimes for a limited time, sometimes permanently. New rules issued recently by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (“OGE”) serve as a reminder that, even…
Hiring from the House: Committee on Ethics Issues Guidance on House Members and Staff Seeking and Entering into New Employment
The House Committee on Ethics has issued two memoranda—one to Members and officers and the other to staff—detailing the restrictions placed on these individuals when negotiating future employment and entering the private workforce. While this guidance is directed to those within the House of Representatives, it provides a useful description of the issues private…