Section 5.2 - Exemption of insubstantial financial conflicts(a) An employee or special Government employee will not be subject to remedial or disciplinary action or to criminal prosecution under 18 U.S.C. 208(a) , if he makes a full disclosure in writing to the official responsible for his appointment of the nature and circumstances of the particular matter involved and of his conflicting financial interest relating thereto, and receives in advance a written determination made by such official that the interest is not so substantial as to be deemed likely to affect the integrity of the services which the Government may expect from the employee or special Government employee.(b) For the purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, the "official responsible for appointment" shall be the Executive Director in all cases where the employee is classified at grade GS-15 or below, or at a comparable pay level, except that each Commissioner shall be the "official responsible for appointment" of advisors in the Commissioner's immediate office.(c) In all other cases, the Chairman shall be the "official responsible for appointment."(d) Pursuant to 5 CFR part 2640 , certain financial interests are exempted from the provisions of 18 U.S.C. 208(a) as being too remote too inconsequential to affect the integrity of an employee's services.58 FR 15764, Mar. 24, 1993, as amended at 63 FR 35130, June 29, 1998