CREW submits complaint urging IG investigation into DOE official’s potential ethics violations

The Department of Energy’s Office of Inspector General (DOE OIG) must investigate potential ethics violations related to Assistant Secretary for Energy Audrey Robertson’s use of her official title to promote jewelry products in a commercial advertisement, according to a complaint CREW submitted to the DOE OIG today. 

In the 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.” 

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 which points to the importance of an investigation. 

Senior administration officials like Robertson set an example of the behavior expected from the federal workforce and 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 to serve the American people by elevating some private interests over the interests of the public as a whole. For that reason, the DOE OIG must conduct a thorough investigation of Robertson’s participation in the jewelry catalog advertisement to ensure the integrity of the agency’s work going forward.