The newly installed director of the Office of Government Ethics has said that corporate and public scandals of the last decade “have enlivened public interest in the subject of ethics and the message is clear: Public office is a public trust.”
“I am encouraged by the refreshing attitudes of young people coming in to government and by the frank recognition of their seniors that concern for ethics is an essential element in leadership,” director Robert I Cusick said.
He said he will “strive to raise public discourse concerning ethics in official Washington and beyond. Government ethics is not a tangential concern to citizens or their government. It is fundamental. The values of our democracy are put at risk if official decisions are corrupted by private interest rather than being informed by the public interest. We all are learning new ways to educate, regulate and make ethical conduct systemic,” he said, saying he is open to ideas and suggestions.
