Public service is a public trust.

Americans have always had high expectations for those individuals charged with guiding our Nation’s ship of state. Unfortunately, leaders have not always lived up to such high ideals. For too long, the American public has sat and watched as its public servants play fast and loose with the rules, rewarding insiders and special interests at the expense of the American people. This has led to an unprecedented dip in trust in our elected officials and those charged with executing the law.

There is now a double standard with different rules and oversight of public officials based on irrelevant and arbitrary factors such as politics and policy perspectives. This undermines Americans’ faith in their government and their trust in its policies.

As a group of retired and former public servants with decades of experience in government, we saw firsthand the unfairness this created for those individuals, both career officials and political appointees, who play by the rules. We believe in the noble value of public service and understand the sacrifices many make to serve their country. Those who follow the law and act ethically should not be tarnished by the actions of those who seek to skirt the rules when it suits them.

Through fair and equal enforcement of the rules and obligations of our public servants, we begin to restore the public trust. Protect the Public’s Trust is a project dedicated to ensuring there is only one standard – one set of rules that our leaders must live by no matter what party affiliation or ideological bent. Through research and education, we will monitor and inform the American people about the self-dealing and conflicts of interest, and the improper and illegal behavior of senior officials across the government. 

The American people deserve a government that is impartial, free from conflicts of interest, and operates without political interference or favoritism. Our goal is to ensure our nation fulfills that promise.