PRINCIPLE #5: INTEGRITY
We expect FORWARD members and affiliates to uphold the highest standards of honesty, integrity, accountability, and civic responsibility. We intend to call out dishonesty and corruption, wherever we may find it, within or without the party. We support full political transparency—disclosing our donor sources, inhibiting the influence of lobbyists, and revealing potential conflicts of interest.
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Rationale: Voters, supporters, pundits and opponents will judge us not only on our policy positions, but on our personal character and behavior. That behavior reflects well or poorly on the party, influencing future elections and legislation. Only by holding ourselves, first, to high standards of conduct can our citizens hold us accountable to their needs, without succumbing to outside influences, interests or incentives.