CREW calls for these potential ethics violations to be investigated
These potential ethics violations must be investigated
- Mon, Feb 2 2026 at 8:31 AM
Mark,
We just filed a complaint asking the Department of Energy’s Office of Inspector General to investigate whether Assistant Secretary Audrey Robertson improperly used her official title to promote jewelry products in a commercial advertisement.
This is the most corrupt presidential administration in history—and this is far from the biggest ethics problem in Trump’s orbit. But it’s still important. Demanding an ethical government means demanding that everyone in government abide by the law, from the president to political appointees to career staff.
Here’s what you need to know:
In Trice Jewelers’ 2026 Wish Book, Robertson appears in an advertisement alongside a biography reading that she is “now honored to serve our country at the Department of Energy as the Assistant Secretary of Energy (EERE) for the USA.”
However, ethics rules prohibit executive branch officials from using their public office and official title for private gain, including for the endorsement of any product or enterprise.
Robertson’s appearance in the catalog, coupled with the biographical information specifically identifying her title and position at the Department of Energy, implies that her support of this private jeweler was made in her official capacity and backed by the weight of the federal government.
Based on available information, it is unclear whether Robertson has a prior or ongoing relationship with Trice Jewelers, whether she received payment for her participation in the catalog, and whether she sought or received ethics advice before appearing in the advertisement including her official government title.
All of this points to the importance of an investigation.
Senior administration officials like Robertson set an example for the behavior expected from the federal workforce. They must be held accountable to ethics rules to ensure taxpayer funds are used appropriately.
Misuse of a public position suggests that the agency and its officials are taking advantage of the privilege of serving the American people by elevating private interests over the public interest as a whole.
That’s why CREW is urging the DOE inspector general’s office to conduct a thorough investigation of Robertson’s participation in the jewelry catalog advertisement to help ensure the integrity of the agency’s work going forward.
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