To all potential signers: this is a request to begin a conversation around holding politicians and their staff members accountable for telling the truth.

In criminal law, perjury is defined as the offense committed by a witness in judicial proceedings who, having been lawfully sworn or having affirmed, willfully gives false evidence.

Lying under oath is typically a statement reserved for courtrooms. State and federal officials, including the President, make an oath to the public that is or should not be constrained to specific buildings or locales. However, promising to tell the truth is not a part of this oath, but it should be.

In court proceedings and elsewhere, perjury is a crime punishable by jail time or fines. Lying to the public as an elected or appointed official has a profound impact on society, national security, and relationships with foreign powers, both allies and otherwise.

Currently, federal and local officials can lie in public, repeatedly, with no recourse, even with overwhelming amounts of evidence.