White House Tells Officials to Mind Their Ps and Qs

The White House has issued a stern warning to administration officials attending the Republican National Convention in New York: Don’t misbehave at the all-night parties or accept freebies.

Lest they forget, the White House printed rules on creme-colored, wallet-size laminated cards and gave them to hundreds of administration officials before they left.

Not sure if you can accept a seat at a corporate skybox? How about the free blue box from Tiffany & Co.? There is a hotline, answered around the clock, by the White House counsel’s office.

All employees going to New York had to attend ethics sessions, where Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr. showed a news broadcast from the Democratic National Convention that showed elected officials partying at corporate bashes.

“I do not want this to happen at our convention,” Card said at the ethics meeting. The guidelines stop short of advising a curfew.

White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan confirmed the meeting and said Friday: “The president expects his appointees to adhere to the highest ethical standards. We want to ensure that the individuals who attend the convention adhere to the highest ethical standards too.”