April 23, 2008 

                                                                                    DO-08-018

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Designated Agency Ethics Officials

FROM:            Joseph E. Gangloff

Deputy Director

SUBJECT:       Due Dates for Public Financial Disclosure Reports of Executive Branch Officials Required to File with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE)

The primary tool OGE uses for identifying and resolving potential conflicts of interest is financial disclosure.  Through this process OGE and agencies can assure the President, Congress  and the public that appointees to the highest level of Government positions will be free from conflicts of interest.

Annual public financial disclosure reports (SF 278) are to be filed with the appropriate department or agency no later than May 15.  The Designated Agency Ethics Official (DAEO) is to ensure that each report filed is reviewed within sixty days.  The report should then be promptly submitted to OGE for final review and certification.   

In recognition of the granting of filing extensions, OGE is reissuing the filing schedule from last year’s filing cycle.  All annual SF 278s for PAS officials and DAEOs filed by May 15, 2008, are to be certified and submitted to OGE as soon as approved by your agency or department, but no later than August 1, 2008.  For those PAS officials for whom you have granted filing extensions, please see the table below for the appropriate certification and transmittal dates.  Reports are to be certified and submitted for each of your PAS officials and the DAEO by the transmittal deadline. 

            Reviewing, certifying, and submitting your certified public financial disclosure reports promptly to OGE bolsters public confidence in government processes, enhances employee respect for the ethics program and prevents embarrassment of filers.  Therefore, if you are unable to certify and submit a report within the given time frame, please make your OGE desk officer aware of the reason for the delay.  We are happy to assist in any way we can to help you obtain the information needed to certify the report.  These reports are for the top executive branch officials, and it is vital that their reports be reviewed and certified by both of our offices as soon as possible. 

The deadlines for the 2008 filing period are below. If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Sharrow, Program Manager (Financial Disclosure), Program Services Division at mpsharro@oge.gov or at (202) 482-9208.

Filing Deadline	Certification Deadline	Transmittal Deadline
May 15 (no extension)	July 14	August 1
June 30 (45-day extension)	August 29	September 15
August 14 (90-day extension)	October 13	October 31