Among the checks and balances of our democracy is the vetting process that senior leaders in the Federal Government undergo. Every appointee is carefully vetted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and sometimes the Office of Government Ethics (OGE). It is this process that helps the American public maintain trust in our elected and appointed leadership and enables the successful management of our government. One key aspect of the vetting process is the financial disclosure review conducted by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE).
OGE seeks to ensure that nominees for senior executive positions fully disclose actual or potential conflicts of interests, such as investments that might be influenced by the decisions they make while in office. OGE works with nominees to eliminate those conflicts before they move on to their appointed position.
Filing financial disclosures is a complex undertaking for the nominee and OGE. Imagine filing your taxes and getting audited every year, often for several years. Until recently, OGE received submissions on paper and in a variety of electronic formats. Today, Integrity.gov underpins the process. Integrity.gov has significantly reduced the time and effort needed to collect, review, and approve financial disclosures for senior executive nominees.
The infographic below outlines the full process that Presidential appointees, senior executives, and other filers undergo before they take their seats in government, and that they use annually throughout their tenure.
