March 11, 2019
For our democracy to function, citizens must be able to learn what and how their government is doing. Transparency is essential to maintain the public’s trust in government.
OGE works every day to make sure that citizens have access to information about their government and its leaders. In recent years OGE has taken significant steps to improve citizens’ access to ethics disclosures and related records. OGE has recently re-organized its Open Government page to make information easier to find. There you can get immediate access to the financial disclosure reports and ethics agreements of the President, Vice President, cabinet secretaries, and other government agency heads. You can complete a short form to request the reports filed by other top government officials and candidates for the presidency. Using this same form, you can see documentation that they have complied with the ethics commitments they made prior to entering government service.
You can also see what OGE is doing to further transparency. OGE publishes correspondence holding agencies accountable as well as responses to Congressional inquiries. You can also access a library of documents that have been released in response to Freedom of Information Act requests. You can even stay apprised of OGE’s current rule-making activities.
OGE values transparency and is committed to helping you oversee your government. It is your right to know. It is our job to help you.