The Ethical Barometer

Takashi Niigaki, the ghostwriter for Japan’s celebrated composer, Mamoru Samuragochi. Mr. Niigaki came forward after he learned that one of his compositions (although claimed by Samuragochi) was to be used by a Japanese skater in the Olympics. Mr. Niigaki also added that Mr. Samuragochi, who has claimed that he, like Beethoven, is deaf, is indeed not deaf.

Mr. Samuagochi explained in a 2011 interview that his loss of hearing was “a gift from God.” He explained that he used his inner sense of sound to write his compositions. Well, that, and Mr. Niigaki.

The mayor of Hiroshima, a city that had recognized Mr. Samuragochi for his stand against nuclear weapons, offered, “We are aghast.” Yes, indeed. Mr. Samuragochi’s record company is “appalled and deeply indignant.” And out a lot of revenue as well. Just when you think you have seen it all . . .

So wrote the New York Times on January 26, 2013. Michael Wines, “It Only Seems That Political Corruption Is Rampant.” The piece that followed reported, through an expert, that there was “zero” evidence that there was more political corruption. The data cited certainly support that “zero” conclusion:

Since 1973, four of Illinois’s seven governors have gone to jail
In 2011, the FBI conducted 2,000 corruption inquiries into the conduct of federal officials and secured
900 convictions from that pool.

That’s the criminal piece. There are the ethical issues — enjoying trips with lobbyists to Vail, placing your family members on staff as envelope lickers, exempting Continue reading →

The 43-page indictment of former Virginia governor, Robert McDonnell, and his wife, Maureen, is a heck of a good read. In July, 2011, Jonnie R. Williams, a business man who was trying to gain influence with the McDonnells, allegedly allowed the family to use his multimillion-dollar vacation home on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. However, the loan of the house was not enough. Mrs. McDonnell allegedly called Mr. Williams to ask that his Ferrari be available at the house for the then-governor to drive. Mr. Williams allegedly had an employee drive Continue reading →

Mathew Martoma, the former SAC Capital portfolio manager, who is on trial for insider trading, participated in SAC’s annual ethics training. He signed the attendance sheet and was trained by the company compliance officer who used PowerPoint slides to explain insider trading. Mr. Martoma allegedly obtained information about the results of drug trials in advance of a pharmaceutical’s public announcement about those results. The doc who allegedly tipped him off has testified about the tip in exchange for immunity. It takes more than ethics training. The culture at SAC countermanded what compliance and training tried to do. Check-the-box training and compliance won’t do it. Check the profits and how they earned them — they provide the real story.

“Air Force Finds Cheating Among Nuclear-Missile Crews.” Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2014, p. A5.
“Cheating Accusations Among Officers Overseeing Nuclear Arms.” New York Times, January 16, 2014, p. A11.
“Missile Officers Caught Cheating on Exams.” USA Today, January 16, 2014, p. 4A.
Thank goodness Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James called the 34 officers’ conduct of cheating on their proficiency tests, “unacceptable.” Thank goodness also that the 34 officers involved have lost their certification. The incompetent and dishonest launching nukes is a combo we could probably do without. Ms. James will travel to the testing site to discuss what to do in the future. Good luck with that — if the Air Force needs training, the Barometer has 37 years of teaching experience and an equal number of years in experience with cheating test takers. Where there are tests and humans, there will be cheating. The trick is to anticipate how before you have a headline.