>The reasoning I was given was to not never even provide a hint of impropriety or using data ahead of our customers. Reputation was everything. One bit I took

>The reasoning I was given was to not never even provide a hint of impropriety or using data ahead of our customers. Reputation was everything. One bit I took away from grad school was the strict standards around conflicts of interest. The big concept was "Disclose and avoid conflicts of interest and the appearance of impropriety." The avoidance of impropriety is a much higher standard, and unfortunately it's all too common to see that standard not applied in government. "Rules for thee, not for me" mentality.