By Mickey McCarter, HSToday Senior Washington Correspondent
Responding to concerns over the revolving door
between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and industry,
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has announced tighter
post-employment rules to begin on June 7 for his department.
The new policy forbids senior DHS officials
from dealing directly with the entire department on behalf of a
"non-federal entity" for one year after they leave their DHS posts. For
purposes of the rule, senior officials include any senior executive
service or other employee earning more than 86.5 percent of Executive
Schedule II pay.
Prior to the change, DHS barred former
officials only from representing non-federal organizations before the
specific component of the department that had employed them for a
period of one year. Those former officials could start talking to other
components immediately.
DHS is generally recognized as having
affiliated eight components, including US Customs and Border
Protection, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, US Citizenship and
Immigration Services, the Transportation Security Administration, the
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, US Coast Guard, US Secret
Service and DHS headquarters operations.
"Whatever the component agency or office, the
leaders of this department are first and foremost senior DHS
officials," Chertoff said in a March 8 statement. "There should be no
doubt about the integrity of our leadership and the motivation for
their service to our country. The American public rightfully expects
and deserves that the mission focus be job-one."
The new rule will apply to DHS employees who leave federal service after the rule's effective date of June 7.
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