Secretary Chertoff Tightens Post-Employment Restrictions for Senior DHS Officials

Release Date: March 8, 2007

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: (202) 282-8010

Washington — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff announced a change in policy today that bars all former senior DHS officials from representing a non-federal entity before any part of DHS for one year after they leave federal employment. This change applies to Senior Executive Service and other non-General Schedule employees who earn more than 86.5 percent of Executive Schedule II pay ($145,320 in Pay Year 2007).

"Whatever the component agency or office, the leaders of this department are first and foremost senior DHS officials," said Secretary Chertoff. "There should be no doubt about the integrity of our leadership and the motivation for their service to our country. The American public rightfully expects and deserves that the mission focus be job-one."

Since November 2004, DHS has been separated into eight agencies for the purpose of enforcing a one-year bar applicable to senior officials. This meant that a senior employee leaving one agency was barred from representing another party to that agency for one year, but could approach any of the other seven agencies within the department, unless the employee was involved as a government employee with a specific matter either personally and substantially, or as a responsible superior. At the recommendation of Secretary Chertoff, the Director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics rescinded the waiver to 18 U.S.C. § 207, making DHS one agency for purposes of this ethics restriction.

Notice of the change was made in the Federal Register on March 8, 2007. The change will take effect 90 days from that date, on June 7, 2007, and will apply to employees who leave the government after that date.

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