Presidential Ethics-Pledge Order Rescinded
What happened
promisedocumented The Republican platform pledged to end corruption and hold government actors accountable.
- Republican National Committee: 2024 Republican Party Platform2024-07-08 · Government accountability commitments
actiondocumented Trump's initial-rescissions order revoked Executive Order 13989, which had required an ethics pledge from Biden appointees.
- The White House: Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions2025-01-20 · Revocation list including Executive Order 13989
affected groupreported Incoming executive-branch appointees were no longer subject to the rescinded order's pledge terms.
- Associated Press: Trump drops Biden-era ethics rules for his administration2025-01-21 · Effect on appointees and lobbying restrictions
limitationreported Federal conflict-of-interest and anti-bribery laws were not repealed by the executive-order rescission.
- Associated Press: Trump drops Biden-era ethics rules for his administration2025-01-21 · Remaining legal framework
People and organizations
- Executive-branch appointeesaffected party
Assessment
The rescission stripped out the predecessor order's contractual ethics-pledge framework for appointees. Separate criminal and ethics statutes stayed in force.