Executive Order 12674: Principles of ethical conduct for Government officers and employees
Summary
George H. W. Bush signed Executive Order 12674 on April 12, 1989 to set common principles of ethical conduct across the executive branch and direct the Office of Government Ethics to issue implementing standards. EO 12731 substantially modified it in October 1990. Together with statutes and current regulations, the amended order explains the government-wide framework concerning conflicts, gifts, misuse of office and other employee conduct. An agency ethics pledge or a criminal conflict-of-interest rule is related, but not interchangeable with this entire framework.
Status: In effect. Yes. As modified by EO 12731. The current executive-branch ethics standards in 5 CFR part 2635 expressly cite EO 12674 as modified, and OGE's 2024 modernization rule used that authority. The operative principles are the amended text and current regulations, not an unchanged copy of the April 1989 version.
Key facts at a glance
| Signed | April 12, 1989 |
|---|---|
| President | George H. W. Bush |
| Federal Register | 54 FR 15159; published April 14, 1989 |
| Current label | In effect |
| Amended by | EO 12731 |
| Related orders | EO 11222, EO 12565, EO 12731 |
| Checked | October 25, 2026 |
What it requires today
The amended principles treat public service as a trust and place loyalty to the Constitution, law and ethical principles above private gain. They address financial interests that conflict with official duties, use of nonpublic information for private advantage, solicitation or acceptance of prohibited gifts, and misuse of public office. They also require impartiality and protection of federal property. The principles are an organizing framework; their application depends on the definitions, exceptions and procedures in the implementing standards.
Employees are expected to perform duties honestly, avoid unauthorized commitments binding the government, disclose waste and abuse through appropriate channels, and satisfy good-faith obligations as citizens. They must also endeavor to avoid conduct creating the appearance of violating applicable law or ethical standards. The appearance standard is not simply whatever an observer dislikes: the regulations provide the relevant reasonable-person setting and rules for applying the standards to concrete facts.
The order assigns OGE responsibility for government-wide standards and permits agency supplemental regulations under the specified process. Some agencies have responsibilities or risks requiring additional rules. A supplemental restriction therefore needs its actual authority and approval; it should not be assumed to exist because another department has adopted one. Similarly, the common framework does not eliminate statutory restrictions that apply to particular offices, financial interests or post-government activities.
Who it affects
Executive-branch employees and agency ethics programs are the principal subjects, with definitions and exceptions set by the order and regulations. Special government employees can have distinct statutory treatment in some areas. Contractors and members of the public do not become federal employees merely because they interact with an agency. Agency ethics officials provide important advice, but an informal summary of a general principle cannot replace the text of an applicable criminal statute or a specific regulatory exception.
How it came about
EO 12674 sought more consistent executive-branch conduct standards and revoked EOs 11222 and 12565. The substantial 1990 modification under EO 12731 means that a historical copy of the April 1989 order is not by itself the present rulebook. OGE subsequently issued the Standards of Ethical Conduct in 5 CFR part 2635, and later amendments modernized those standards. This sequence combines a presidential framework with continuing regulatory development rather than a one-time assignment that ended when the first regulations appeared.
What agencies did under it
OGE's May 17, 2024 modernization rule expressly invokes section 201(a) of EO 12674 as modified by EO 12731 and revises the authority citation for part 2635. It describes consultation with Justice and OPM and consideration of agency ethics officials' views. That rule supplies direct positive evidence that the amended order remained a basis for regulatory action; current OGE materials continue to identify both orders in the supplemental-regulation process.
Part 2635 organizes detailed standards covering subjects such as gifts, conflicting financial interests, impartiality, seeking other employment, misuse of position and outside activities. These rules supply definitions and exceptions that the short principles do not fully specify. An employee considering a gift, for example, needs the actual rule concerning the source, occasion and exception, not merely the general proposition that public service is a public trust.
Agency-specific supplemental rules are part of the framework rather than an unrelated collection of preferences. OGE identifies which documents must be submitted to it and the authorities governing supplemental ethics regulations. This approval structure matters because a government-wide exception and a valid agency supplement can interact. The continuing order does not establish the answer to every individual ethics question without examining those additional rules and the relevant facts.
Implementation records: OGE: 2024 modernization rule and authority citation; Current Standards of Ethical Conduct; OGE: documents and supplemental regulations requiring submission.
Amendments and family tree
EO 12674 expressly revoked EOs 11222 and 12565, while EO 12731 modified the 1989 instrument in its entirety. The current citation is therefore EO 12674 as modified by EO 12731. A later administration's separate ethics commitment or pledge should be reviewed as its own instrument; changes to such a pledge do not automatically erase the government-wide conduct standards. The 1990 instrument supplies the modified text; current regulations remain essential to applying its principles.
Court cases
No court ruling specifically on EO 12674 was identified in the official order, disposition and agency sources reviewed as of October 25, 2026. Ethics disputes can arise under criminal statutes, personnel rules or administrative conduct standards. Those sources have different elements and consequences. A finding under one regime should not be attributed to the entire presidential ethics framework without identifying the provision and the actual decision.
Common questions
Should I use the April 1989 text by itself?
No. EO 12731 modified EO 12674 in 1990, and the current implementing regulations have their own amendments. The current standards cite the 1989 order as modified. A historical version can explain the development but cannot alone establish today's detailed rule.
Are the principles the same as criminal conflict-of-interest law?
They are related parts of federal ethics law, but they are not identical. Criminal statutes, financial-disclosure law, the executive order and regulatory conduct standards have different elements and enforcement consequences. A violation of one cannot be inferred solely from the name of another.
Can an agency have additional ethics rules?
The framework allows supplemental agency regulations through the prescribed process. The existence and scope of a particular supplement must be checked, rather than assumed from another agency's practice or from a general ethics training presentation.
Did a later ethics-pledge revocation end this order?
A separate pledge has its own text and status. OGE's current conduct framework continues to cite EO 12674 as modified by EO 12731. A claimed repeal of those government-wide standards requires evidence directed to that authority, not merely a change to a different pledge.
Legal basis
The order works alongside presidential authority over executive administration, federal ethics statutes and OGE's statutory responsibilities. The 2024 regulation cites 5 U.S.C. 7301, 7351, 7353 and chapter 131 as well as the amended executive order. Those overlapping sources explain why the framework cannot be reduced to a single presidential preference and why current regulatory and statutory text must be read together.
Further reading
Sources
Cite this page
EO Explained, “Executive Order 12674: Principles of ethical conduct for Government officers and employees”, checked October 25, 2026. https://eoexplained.com/historic-orders/historic-12674-principles-of-ethical-conduct-for-government-officers-and-employees. Include an access date when citing this dated account. For the presidential instrument itself, cite 54 FR 15159 and the official text.
Last checked
. EO 12674 was checked against its signed record, current disposition and cited implementation sources for the status and scope described above. Report an error or a later official source.