Federal Daily - September 23, 2009

Salazar Beefs Up DOI’s Ethics and Accountability Programs

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on Sept. 21 unveiled stronger ethics and accountability rules in the wake of a sex-and-drugs scandal last year within the Department of Interior’s (DOI) Minerals Management Service (MMS). In that episode, employees at MMS were accused by federal investigators of allegedly engaging in sexual relationships and using illegal drugs with oil and gas company representatives. Salazar recently issued Secretarial Order 3288, which requires DOI bureaus to provide adequate staffing and financial support for their ethics offices, and to more actively reach out for employee concerns, suggestions and evaluations. Specifically, bureaus must employ a full-time deputy ethics counselor at the GS-14 level or higher; and field managers now have to ensure that all employees have access to ethics resources, guidelines, training and trained ethics staff. Bureau chiefs also must develop and implement procedures for soliciting employee concerns and other appropriate feedback on personal or program ethics. The directive also established an internal working group tasked with making recommendations to Salazar by Jan. 31, 2010, on how to improve ethics within DOI. “As public servants, each of us shares responsibility for fulfilling this [public service] commitment and to upholding the highest ethical standards at all times,” Salazar said in a statement. To see more, go to: www.doi.gov/news/09_News_Releases/092109.html.

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McHugh Takes Over as Army Secretary

Nine-term Republican House member John M. McHugh was sworn in as the 21st secretary of the Army on Sept. 21 in a brief ceremony at the Pentagon. McHugh, former ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, resigned his House seat representing mostly rural Upstate New York to serve as Army secretary. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, McHugh won recognition as a staunch advocate for servicemembers and their families as he worked to ensure that the military had proper facilities and training, as well as the quality of life necessary to carry out wartime missions, according to a DoD statement. McHugh steps in amid an administration debate over boosting U.S. ground forces in Afghanistan. Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who is in charge of the Afghanistan U.S. forces, has warned that failure to significantly increase the U.S. presence could spell failure within a year, according to accounts in The Washington Post. McHugh’s seat remains vacant and it is expected that New York Gov. David A. Paterson (D) soon will announce a date for the special election to fill out the remainder of McHugh’s House term. To see more, go to: www.defenselink.mil/bios/biographydetail.aspx?biographyid=228.

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