How Gov't Employees Learn About Ethics

by Olga Pierce, ProPublica

Learning about ethics is hard, and such a bummer.

Luckily, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics has found a way to make it fun!

By FOIA request, a Web site called Government Attic has obtained a series of crossword puzzles from the ethics office used to teach government employees right and wrong.

The series of five puzzles, completed in 2007, cover topics like appropriate uses of government equipment and misuse of position. (We found the puzzles via a blog named referencetone. And yes, we rang government office and confirmed the puzzle is real.)

To see how you measure up, see if you can answer the following clues. Answers below.

If your score is:

5 - Daniel Ellsberg

4 - Barbara Jordan

3 - Eliot Spitzer

2 - Edwin Edwards

1 - Boss Tweed

0 - Caligula

1. Don't use your government office to _______ yourself or others. (7 letters)

2. Widely used and misused piece of government equipment. (6 letters)

3. You are to file and pay these by April 15. (5 letters)

4. Generally you can't receive money for talking about your official ______. (6 letters)

5. Accepting gifts too _____, even when permitted under the gift exceptions, is a bad idea. (5 letters)

Bonus question from the puzzle: This act governs the political activities of executive branch employees. (5 letters)

Answers:

1. benefit

2. copier

3. taxes

4. duties

5. often

Bonus: Hatch

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