Memorandum on Conflicts of Interest and Ethical Standards of Conduct of Government Employees.

[ Released January 22, 1963. Dated January 21, 1963 ]

Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies :

Legislation enacted by the last Congress (P.L. 87-849) to revise and strengthen the laws relating to bribery and conflicts of interest of Government personnel becomes effective today. An interpretation of this law prepared by the Department of Justice will be distributed to all departments and agencies within the next few days.

Each department and agency is requested to review its regulations covering conflicts of interest and ethical conduct to ensure that they are consistent with the new law and that they make full use of the provisions in that law which permit the Government more readily to employ experts from outside the Government with appropriate safeguards. In this connection each department and agency should be guided by the minimum standards for department and agency regulations contained in Mr. Dutton's memorandum of July 20, 1961, to the heads of departments and agencies and, where applicable, by the provisions of Executive Order No. 10939. Each department and agency head is requested to submit to me by March 11, 1963, two copies of revised regulations as well as a statement of the means by which they are periodically called to the attention of employees.

A revision of my memorandum of February 9, 1962, on preventing conflicts of interest on the part of advisers and consultants to the Government is in preparation and will be issued in the near future.

It is appropriate as the new statute becomes effective to reaffirm the principle that all government officers and employees must act with integrity, impartiality and devotion to the public interest.

JOHN F. KENNEDY