The West Wing
S2E21
· 18th and Potomac

Mrs. Landingham's Ethical Stand on Car Discount, Leo Interrupts

In the Outer Oval Office, Charlie and Mrs. Landingham review papers when Charlie offers a car discount. She sharply rejects it, citing White House ethics regulations (Section 2635) prohibiting gifts over $20, wryly accepting only $19 to underscore her unyielding integrity amid the administration's crises. Leo's entrance snaps Charlie into professional mode, ushering him toward the President and abruptly ending the personal banter, transitioning from human warmth to high-stakes duty.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

Mrs. Landingham aggressively cites ethics regulations to justify refusing a car discount, showing her stubborn integrity.

defensive to triumphant ['Outer Oval Office']

Leo's sudden entrance disrupts the conversation as Charlie immediately shifts to attendant mode.

casual to formal

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Charlie Young
primary

Casually affectionate shifting to brisk professionalism

Sitting across from Mrs. Landingham reading papers, initiates casual car discount offer with 'Look...', persists lightly despite interruption, then stands swiftly to usher Leo inside, delivering crisp directive 'He's waiting for you' to enforce professional transition.

Goals in this moment
  • • Secure a friendly car discount for Mrs. Landingham
  • • Seamlessly usher Leo to the President without delay
Active beliefs
  • • Personal gestures like discounts strengthen team bonds
  • • Duty to the President overrides momentary levity
Character traits
playful dutiful adaptable
Follow Charlie Young's journey
Dolores Landingham
primary

Firmly resolute laced with dry humor

Seated opposite Charlie engrossed in papers, launches into authoritative recitation of Section 2635 ethics code preempting his offer, delivers punchy $19 quip with wry finality, embodying unyielding integrity as banter yields to Leo's arrival.

Goals in this moment
  • • Uphold federal ethics standards without compromise
  • • Deflect personal temptation through regulatory precision
Active beliefs
  • • Institutional ethics safeguard public trust above all
  • • Humor reinforces rather than undermines boundaries
Character traits
principled wry authoritative
Follow Dolores Landingham's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Bartlet's Presidential Limousine

Charlie and Mrs. Landingham are actively reading these administrative papers across from each other, establishing the workaday pressure cooker that frames their ethical banter; the papers symbolize the relentless Oval deluge, grounding personal warmth in professional reality before Leo's arrival shifts focus.

Before: Spread across desks, being reviewed by Charlie and …
After: Unchanged, left on desks as transition to duty …
Before: Spread across desks, being reviewed by Charlie and Mrs. Landingham
After: Unchanged, left on desks as transition to duty occurs

Organizations Involved

Institutional presence and influence

2
Bartlet Administration (Executive Office of the President)

Explicitly referenced as the employer whose staff—'White House employees'—are 'enjoined' from gifts over $20 per Section 2635, with Mrs. Landingham wielding this as institutional armor to preserve rectitude in the Outer Oval's daily churn.

Representation Through employment rules binding all staff conduct
Power Dynamics Imposing hierarchical discipline on personnel like Mrs. Landingham and Charlie
Impact Models disciplined loyalty amid Haitian coups and poll plunges
Maintain ethical facade during reelection crises Uphold procedural purity in staff interactions Direct employment prohibitions on gifts Leveraging external ethics oversight for internal control
U.S. Office of Government Ethics

Mrs. Landingham directly invokes its 'Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch - Final Regulations, Section 2635' to dismantle Charlie's discount offer, transforming abstract regulatory text into a living shield of integrity that halts personal generosity amid White House bustle.

Representation Via verbatim citation of binding regulations by Mrs. Landingham
Power Dynamics Exercising absolute authority over individual staff actions through enforceable code
Impact Reinforces public servant purity amid political tempests like MS scandals
Prevent ethics violations in executive branch Enforce uniform gift prohibitions across federal employees Statutory regulations quoted as unassailable law Ceiling on gifts ($20) as hard policy barrier

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

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This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph

Key Dialogue

"Charlie: "Look...""
"Mrs. Landingham: "Section 2635 wherein White House employees are specifically enjoined from receiving or soliciting gifts over $20 in value. They wanna give me a $19 discount on my car - I'll take it!""
"Charlie: "He's waiting for you.""
"Leo: "Thank you.""