October 12, 2001
PRESS STATEMENT
The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct today issued an Advisory Memorandum to all Members, officers and employees of the House reminding them that violations of the Classified Information Oath are violations of the Code of Official Conduct and are sanctionable as such. At all times—and especially in this time of our country’s war on terrorism—the Committee on Standards takes the obligations imposed by the Classified Information Oath with the greatest seriousness.
The Oath is set forth in Clause 13 of the Code of Official Conduct (Rule XXIII of the Rules of the House). This clause provides that, before a Member, officer or employee of the House may have access to classified information, the following oath (or affirmation) shall be executed:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will not disclose any
classified information received in the course of my service
with the House of Representatives, except as authorized by
the House of Representatives or in accordance with its Rules."
Consistent with its guidance on the Classified Information Oath issued in July 1995, the Committee continues to read the reference in the oath to "information received in the course of . . . service with the House of Representatives" to include any classified information provided to a Member, officer or employee by any source during service with the House. The Committee also continues to read the oath as imposing a duty to inquire; that is, when in doubt as to whether information in his or her possession is classified, the Member, officer or employee must make a good faith effort to determine if it is classified before disclosing it in an unauthorized manner.