Photo by afagen.

One of the central components of the ethics overhaul passed by the D.C. Council late last year was a new D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability. The board will be charged with centralizing ethics enforcement across the D.C. government and making ethics standards more clear, understandable and applicable.

Today Mayor Vince Gray announced that the soon-to-be-formed board is looking for members, and anyone can apply. The basics:

The Ethics Board will consist of three members, no more than two of whom may come from the same political party. Members will be appointed by the Mayor to serve for six-year terms (except for the initial appointees, who will serve staggered terms). Appointments to the panel must be confirmed by the D.C. Council.

To be eligible, an applicant must be a registered voter, live in the District for at least one year prior to appointment and hold no other office or employment in the District government. A candidate also must possess demonstrated integrity, independence, public credibility, knowledge of civic affairs and training or experience in government ethics or public transparency.

Ethics Board members are prohibited from holding office in District political organizations; endorsing or opposing District candidates for public office; or soliciting funds for, or contributing to, District political organizations or candidates. Board members cannot be lobbyists or convicted felons.

The board is expected to be functional in the next few months, and will rely on the work of the three board members and various support staffers. (It’ll cost close to $3 million for its first four years of operation.)

Interested candidates can head on over to the website of the Office of Boards and Commissions or call 202-727-1372. But before you do, we’ve put together a little pre-qualifying quiz. (You can also try this one.) Take your best shot:

1) Pop quiz! Without looking above, what are two pre-conditions for serving on the board?
a) Have lived in the District for at least one year and hold no other office or employment in the D.C. government.
b) Currently in the employ of a councilmember.
c) Friends in high places.
d) I’ve given at least $10,000 in money orders to various candidates for office.
e) Hold on, I’m looking above for the answer.

2) Do you consider yourself an ethical person?
a) Yes.
b) No.
c) It’s all relative.
d) Pay me $20 and I’ll be whatever you want me to be.
e) What the shit is this?

3) Have you ever caught yourself saying any of the following things?
a) “Even though he’s a friend of mine, what he did was wrong and unethical and needs to be reported to the appropriate authorities.”
b) “But it’s legal!”
c) “I’m not the only one doing it.”
d) “No comment.”
e) “Everyone has a fully-loaded luxury SUV, don’t they?”
f) “Talk to my lawyer, Fred Cooke.”
g) “I’m a moral person.”

4) What do you expect of your service on the D.C. Board of Elections and Government Accountability?
a) To clean up government.
b) Fame and fortune.
c) Is a fully-loaded SUV too much to request?
d) I’m still waiting on those $20.
e) What the shit is this?

If you answered anything but (A) for any of the questions, this might not be the job for you.