In the U.S. Congress the “gag rule” allows a legislator to “look good” to voters back home by letting a legislator introduce a popular bill knowing that the Congressional committee leaders will kill it and never let the bill come to the floor for a vote. The identities of those who kill the bill in committee will always remain a secret…by law!
Consequently, if any legislator violates the secrecy he or she may be kicked out and expelled from Congress forever. If the owners and operators of a publicly held company operated this way they could be imprisoned.