Thursday, however, the ethics pledges the newly elected Clinton had forced his appointees to abide as a condition of holding office became a thing of the past, as he revoked the order.
Called the Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Appointees, the 1993 mandate basically stipulated that those in certain positions under the jurisdiction of the president refrain from various lobbying and trade activities until five years had passed from their dates of resignations.
Specifically, the nearly seven-page document called for "every senior appointee in every executive agency appointed on or after Jan. 20, 1993" to sign, and become "contractually committed to," those ethics rules, which required a stricter code of behavior than outlined in federal law.
Craig Shirley, president of Craig Shirley and Associates law firm in Virginia, said federal ethics regulations already mandate a one-year waiting period on certain activities for terminated government employees.
He also questioned the timing of Clinton's revocation, which comes just three weeks before he leaves office.
"It sounds like what he wants to do is take care of himself and his people when they leave the White House," said Shirley, a Constitutional law attorney.
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