Commission Guidelines on Recusals

Commissioners, senior staff, and other covered staff have all fully complied with Senate Ethics rules for disclosure of their employment histories and financial information. Beyond this disclosure, the Commission seeks to avoid damaging conflicts of interest in the conduct of its work by respecting three principles:

1. Financial Interests

Commissioners and staff will recuse themselves from participating in matters as to which they have a financial interest.

2. Conflicts Arising from Prior Government Service

Commissioners and staff will recuse themselves from investigating work they performed in prior government service.

3. Personal Connections

Where a commissioner or staff member has a close personal relationship with an individual, or either supervised or was supervised by an individual, the commissioner or staff member should not play a primary role in the Commission interview of that person.

Questions about the application of these principles in specific cases will be resolved by the Commission’s General Counsel.