{"id":42282,"date":"2019-03-22T20:11:50","date_gmt":"2019-03-22T20:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/03\/22\/shanahan-ethics-agreement-released-in-wake-of-department-investigation\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:29:33","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:29:33","slug":"shanahan-ethics-agreement-released-in-wake-of-department-investigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2019\/03\/22\/shanahan-ethics-agreement-released-in-wake-of-department-investigation\/","title":{"rendered":"Shanahan ethics agreement released in wake of department investigation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Following the launch of an internal investigation into whether acting Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan violated his ethics agreements to not involve himself in programs related to Boeing, the Pentagon has made public the details<\/a> of how the former executive avoids conflicts of interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The arrangement, signed when Shanahan was deputy secretary and updated to reflect his role as the acting head of the department, essentially relies on the acting secretary\u2019s staff to protect him from himself. His chief of staff, executive secretary, military assistants and other assistants will screen all matters and determine if they involve Boeing. If so, the assistants will, without telling Shanahan, redirect the issue to an alternate defense official who would be appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there is a loophole in case a major decision must be made: \u201cIf the alternate official believe my participation in a particular matter is important, he or she will contact [agency ethics officials] via the DoD Standards of Conduct Office to determine whether I may be authorize to participate, where the interest of the government in my participation outweighs any appearance of impropriety.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t