Public service is a public trust.
These words begin the first section of the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch. (Link to 5 C.F.R. 2635.101 for more information) The Standards of Ethical Conduct also state that "Each employee has a responsibility to the United States Government and its citizens to place loyalty to the Constitution, laws and ethical principles above private gain."
In order to ensure that every citizen can have complete confidence in the integrity of the Government, it's vital that employees (including SGEs) do not misuse their public position for private gain. In this section, we'll examine many of the areas covered under the "Standards of Ethical Conduct."
Let's begin...