Quick Hits

*** A report from the Inspector General at the Department of Commerce found that agency head Wilbur Ross did not notify the Ethics Law and Programs Division about his participation in meeting that included discussion of sectors in which Ross has significant personal investments. The report did not allege any criminal conduct but did say some of Ross's activities created an "appearance of impropriety." The IG report also looked at Ross's many short sales of stock, and found "evidence supporting a finding he used his office for private gain."

*** The Office of Personnel Management issued a question-and-answer document on how to implement aspects of an executive order that makes it easier to fire federal employees through closer tracking of probation period performance, curtailing unofficial performance improvement plans and eliminating "tables of penalties" from collective bargaining agreements.