Section 21 AAC 25.140 - Conflicts of interest(a) If the ombudsman determines that evaluation or investigation of a complaint by a member of the ombudsman's staff involves a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest, then the ombudsman will assign the complaint to another staff member, and the conflicted staff member may not have any further involvement with the complaint. If, prior to the reassignment, the conflicted staff member made any decision regarding disposition of the complaint, that decision is void.(b) If the ombudsman's own investigation of a complaint would involve a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest, the ombudsman will delegate the investigation to a member of the ombudsman's staff and will not comment on or participate in the investigation until the delegated staff member has proposed findings and recommendations for a report under AS 24.55.190 or has discontinued the investigation, If the ombudsman then issues an investigative report under the ombudsman's signature, the report must include disclosure of the ombudsman's conflict of interest or appearance thereof.(c) For the purposes of AS 24.55, it is not a conflict of interest for a member of the ombudsman's staff to investigate complaints in which the complainants make opposite or contradictory allegations regarding an administrative act.Eff. 6/7/2015, Register 214, July 2015