Federal Manager's Daily Report

Image: garagestock/Shutterstock.com

The DoD Standards of Conduct has updated its “Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure.” While it’s presented tongue-in-cheek, it stands as a reminder of the potentially severe consequences to a career of violations.

The latest version—dated September but only recently released—includes several incidents of abuse of position, many of them drawn from IG investigations, such as DoD officials who:

*  received a letter of caution for improperly requesting a subordinate to pick up her child from daycare on her way home from work. “This was one of only a few requests spanning over a seven year period, but once is enough” given the restrictions on use of official time and use of public office for private gain, it said.

*  was sentenced to two years of probation for failing to disclose an offer of employment with a firm seeking to expand its contract with the agency. “Last but not least, the firm pulled his employment offer after the news broke.”

*  received a letter of counseling after asking a subordinate for a loan of a certain amount, receiving a lesser amount, then asking for still more—which the subordinate refused—and repaying only a portion of the amount received.

*  “moved into visitors’ quarters on a military installation where he stayed for six months without paying full price for his room by pressuring his subordinate to acquiesce to his payment arrangements.”

The guide also lists incidents involving officials of other agencies as well as under ethics restrictions involving gifts, travel, conflicts of interest, and more.