A Resignation That Was in Order : Secretary Espy’s ethical lapses overshadow the good that he accomplished at USDA

U. S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy did the right thing Monday when he resigned. During his tenure in President Clinton’s Cabinet, he accepted tickets, trips and accommodations for himself and a traveling companion from people and firms that either do business with or are regulated by his department. He eventually repaid the gifts and favors, but by his own admission, Espy should have been more careful.

The nation’s top agriculture job is held to a much higher standard than other Cabinet posts. The stricter laws result from the federal Meat Inspection Act of 1907. This law, which remains on the books, prohibits the acceptance of any gratuity by anyone who regulates the meat industry. The court-appointed independent counsel, Donald Smaltz of Los Angeles, will continue his investigation of Espy.

Espy accepted gifts and favors from Tyson Foods Inc., the nation’s largest poultry producer, as well as from Quaker Oats and Sun Diamond of California. In one alleged instance, Tyson was providing gifts at a time when Agriculture officials were considering tougher inspections and sanitary regulations in poultry plants. There is no proof that Espy took the luxuries in exchange for providing more lenient treatment of poultry plants. But the timing at the very least looks bad.

His continuing problems also focused an embarrassing spotlight on the questionable relationship that the Clintons have enjoyed with Arkansas-based Tyson Foods. The President has often been accused of accepting favors from the head of the corporation, Don Tyson, a prominent Arkansas Democrat.

While in office, Espy traveled at government expense to his home state of Mississippi--where his children live--20 times during 20 months in office. In that same time period, he only visited California once, even though it is a key agricultural state. Government-paid visits home may be routine in Congress, where Espy served three terms before he joined the Clinton Administration. While it is not against the law for a Cabinet officer to take so many government-paid trips home, it is highly unusual.

Unfortunately, Espy’s lapses overshadowed the good that he accomplished at USDA. The department aggressively tightened meat regulations after Jack in the Box hamburgers tainted with E. coli bacteria killed two children and gave food poisoning to hundreds. On his watch, USDA also improved school lunches and opened new markets for American farm products.

Espy’s resignation won’t halt the investigation by the independent counsel. That probe should proceed to clear his name or prove any wrongdoing. Espy’s fall should remind Washington that ethics must always come first in government.