For its part, Rio Tinto has strongly denied any wrongdoing, insisting its employees had followed its strict ethics guidelines.
He added that the company had "put in place and reinforced over the past years a very strict ethics and compliance process".
CBS News has strict ethics guidelines that prohibit its news staff members and executives from speaking at political fund-raising events, said Sandy Genelius, a CBS spokeswoman.
And Mr. McCain's emphasis on strict ethics has drawn special attention to the number of potential conflicts within his own staff.
With great fanfare, Congress adopted strict ethics rules last year requiring members to disclose when they steered federal money to pet projects.
To that end, my first order of business as the 87th governor of Connecticut is to issue Executive Order No. 1, which imposes strict ethics restraints on those who serve in government.
Friends and veteran military industry lobbyists say Mr. Magliocchetti acquired his taste for the high life as a Congressional staff member wined and dined by lobbyists in the era before strict ethics rules.
Still, Joyce Reingold, the editor and publisher of the Palm Beach Daily News, stands behind Ms. Donnelly, adding that the paper has a strict ethics policy that even prohibits taking goody bags at parties.
"I feel like one of our successes is that we trained so many great people who are now teaching at universities," he says, adding that strict ethics rules are in place to prevent conflicts.
Bent executives can be forgiven for feeling that the only insider they can trust not to spill the beans is the company lawyer, bound as he is by strict ethics rules and the principle of "attorney-client privilege".Now, though, even this bulwark of confidentiality is under threat.
He has imposed a strict ethics code, refusing to select those who misbehave on club duty.
