Caleb Burns Discusses Ethics Rules for Lawmakers Seeking Post-Congress Employment

January 22, 2019

Caleb P. Burns, partner in Wiley Rein’s Election Law & Government Ethics Practice, was quoted by Bloomberg Government in a January 17 article about disclosure requirements for U.S. lawmakers who, prior to departing the House or Senate, negotiate for post-Congress employment opportunities. 

In the House, such job negotiations must be made public when there is a potential conflict of interest with official duties. But another, more common type of disclosure is kept secret by the House Ethics Committee, according to the article.

Mr. Burns said those disclosures are intended to notify ethics officials of outside employment negotiations, so that they can decide if there are conflicts of interest that can be “mitigated even further by retaining an executive search firm or headhunter to add a layer of insulation between the prospective employer and the House member.”

To read the article, click here (subscription required).