5 C.F.R. § 2635.502

Current through September 30, 2024

Section 2635.502 - Personal and business relationships

(a)Consideration of appearances by the employee. In considering whether any of the following would cause a reasonable person to question their impartiality, employees may seek the assistance of their supervisor, an agency ethics official, or the agency designee.

(1) When an employee knows that a particular matter involving specific parties is likely to have a direct and predictable effect on the financial interest of a member of the employee's household, and the employee determines that the circumstances would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts to question the employee's impartiality in the matter, the employee should not participate in the matter unless the employee has received a determination from the agency designee regarding the appearance problem in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section or received an authorization from the agency designee in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section.

(2) When an employee knows that a person with whom the employee has a covered relationship is or represents a party to a particular matter involving specific parties, and the employee determines that the circumstances would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts to question their impartiality in the matter, the employee should not participate in the matter unless the employee has received a determination from the agency designee regarding the appearance problem in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section or received an authorization from the agency designee in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section.

(3) Employees who are concerned that circumstances other than those specifically described in paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) of this section would raise a question regarding their impartiality should use the process described in this section to determine whether they should not participate in a particular matter.

(b)Definitions. For purposes of this section:

(1) An employee has a covered relationship with:

(i) A person, other than a prospective employer described in § 2635.603(c) , with whom the employee has or seeks a business, contractual, or other financial relationship that involves other than a routine consumer transaction;

Note 1 to paragraph (b)(1)(i):

An employee who is seeking employment within the meaning of § 2635.603 must comply with subpart F of this part rather than with this section.

(ii) A person who is a member of the employee's household, or who is a relative with whom the employee has a close personal relationship;

(iii) A person for whom the employee's spouse, parent, or child is, to the employee's knowledge, serving or seeking to serve as an officer, director, trustee, general partner, agent, attorney, consultant, contractor, or employee;

(iv) Any person for whom the employee has, within the last year, served as officer, director, trustee, general partner, agent, attorney, consultant, contractor, or employee; or

(v) An organization, other than a political party described in 26 U.S.C. 527(e) , in which the employee is an active participant. Participation is active if, for example, it involves service as an official of the organization or in a capacity similar to that of a committee or subcommittee chairperson or spokesperson, or participation in directing the activities of the organization. In other cases, significant time devoted to promoting specific programs of the organization, including coordination of fundraising efforts, is an indication of active participation. Payment of dues or the donation or solicitation of financial support does not, in itself, constitute active participation.

(2)Direct and predictable effect has the meaning set forth in § 2635.402(b)(1) .

(3)Particular matter involving specific parties has the meaning set forth in § 2640.102(l) of this chapter.

Example 1 to paragraph (b): An employee of the General Services Administration (GSA) has made an offer to purchase a restaurant owned by a local developer. The developer has submitted an offer in response to a GSA solicitation for the lease of office space. Under the circumstances, the GSA employee would be correct in concluding that a reasonable person would be likely to question their impartiality if they were to participate in evaluating that developer's or its competitor's lease proposal.

Example 2 to paragraph (b): An employee of the Department of Labor is providing technical assistance in drafting occupational safety and health legislation that will affect all employers of five or more persons. The employee's spouse is employed as an administrative assistant by a large corporation that will incur additional costs if the proposed legislation is enacted. Because the legislation is not a particular matter involving specific parties, the employee may continue to work on the legislation and need not be concerned that the spouse's employment with an affected corporation would raise a question concerning the employee's impartiality.

Example 3 paragraph (b): An employee of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is studying environmental problems created by the use of hazardous substances on a particular section of public land. BLM has a contract with an environmental services company to produce a water quality study of the groundwater under this section of land along with a recommendation about how to remediate any problems that are found. The BLM employee will use the study to help determine the extent of the damage and to recommend a solution to any problems that are revealed. The employee's parent has accepted a job with this environmental services company and will be signing and submitting the report of the company's findings. Under these circumstances, the employee would be correct in concluding that a reasonable person would be likely to question their impartiality if they were to continue participating in the study related to this parcel of public land.

Example 4 to paragraph (b): An engineer has just resigned from a position as vice president of an electronics company in order to accept employment with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a position involving procurement responsibilities. Although the employee did not receive a covered payment in connection with the resignation and has severed all financial ties with the firm, under the circumstances the employee would be correct in concluding that this former service as an officer of the company would be likely to cause a reasonable person to question their impartiality if they were to participate in the administration of an FAA contract for which the firm is a first-tier subcontractor.

Example 5 to paragraph (b): An employee of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is a member of a private organization whose purpose is to restore a Victorian-era railroad station, and chairs its annual fundraising drive. Under the circumstances, the employee would be correct in concluding that this active membership in the organization would be likely to cause a reasonable person to question their impartiality if they were to participate in an IRS determination regarding the tax-exempt status of the organization.

Example 6 to paragraph (b): An employee of the Department of Defense (DoD) has responsibility for testing avionics produced by a large Air Force contractor. The employee just learned that their adult child accepted a staff position in the human resources division of that contractor. Although the DoD employee has a covered relationship with the contractor that employs their child, the employee could justifiably conclude that a reasonable person would not be likely to question their impartiality because the child's work is unrelated to the avionics contract.

Example 7 to paragraph (b): An employee of the Department of Defense (DoD) leads the office that is testing a new type of jet engine produced by a multinational conglomerate's aviation division. The employee's lifelong best friend is the head of the conglomerate's aviation division and is responsible for presenting and promoting the new jet engine. Although the DoD employee does not have a covered relationship under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the employee is concerned that, under paragraph (a)(3) of this section, questions regarding their impartiality could be raised. Here, the employee could justifiably conclude that a reasonable person would be likely to question their impartiality if they were to continue performing duties related to this jet engine.

(c)Determination by agency designee.

(1) When the agency designee has information concerning a potential appearance problem arising from either the financial interest of a member of the employee's household in a particular matter involving specific parties or a particular matter involving specific parties in which a person with whom the employee has a covered relationship is a party or represents a party, the agency designee may make an independent determination as to whether a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts would be likely to question the employee's impartiality in the matter. Ordinarily, the agency designee's determination will be initiated by information provided by the employee pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section. However, at any time, including after an employee has recused from participating in a particular matter pursuant to paragraph (e) of this section, agency designees may make this determination on their own initiative or when requested by the employee's supervisor or any other person responsible for the employee's assignment.

(2) If the agency designee determines that the employee's impartiality is likely to be questioned, the agency designee must then determine, in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section, whether the employee should be authorized to participate in the matter. If the agency designee determines that the employee's participation should not be authorized, the employee must recuse from participating in the particular matter in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section.

(3) If the agency designee determines that the employee's impartiality is not likely to be questioned, the agency designee may advise the employee, including an employee who has reached a contrary conclusion under paragraph (a) of this section, that the employee's participation in the matter would be proper.

(d)Authorization by agency designee. When an employee's participation in a particular matter involving specific parties would not violate 18 U.S.C. 208(a) , but would raise a question in the mind of a reasonable person about the employee's impartiality, the agency designee may authorize the employee to participate in the matter based on a determination, made in light of all relevant circumstances, that the interest of the Government in the employee's participation outweighs the concern that a reasonable person may question the integrity of the agency's programs and operations.

(1) Factors which may be taken into consideration include:

(i) The nature of the relationship involved;

(ii) The effect that resolution of the matter would have upon the financial interests of the person involved in the relationship;

(iii) The nature and importance of the employee's role in the matter, including the extent to which the employee is called upon to exercise discretion in the matter;

(iv) The sensitivity of the matter;

(v) The difficulty of reassigning the matter to another employee; and

(vi) Adjustments that may be made in the employee's duties that would reduce or eliminate the likelihood that a reasonable person would question the employee's impartiality.

(2) Authorization by the agency designee will be documented in writing at the agency designee's discretion or when requested by the employee. An employee who has been authorized to participate in a particular matter involving specific parties may not thereafter recuse from participating in the matter on the basis of an appearance problem involving the same circumstances that have been considered by the agency designee.

Example 1 to paragraph (d): The Deputy Director of Personnel for the Department of the Treasury and an attorney with the Department's Office of General Counsel are general partners in a real estate partnership. The Deputy Director advises their supervisor, the Director of Personnel, of the relationship upon being assigned to a selection panel for a position for which the partner has applied. If selected, the partner would receive a substantial increase in salary. The agency designee cannot authorize the Deputy Director to participate on the panel under the authority of this section because the Deputy Director is prohibited by criminal statute, 18 U.S.C. 208(a) , from participating in a particular matter affecting the financial interest of a person who is their general partner. See § 2635.402 .

Example 2 paragraph (d): A new employee of the Securities and Exchange Commission is assigned to an investigation of insider trading by the brokerage house where they have recently been employed. Because of the sensitivity of the investigation, the agency designee may be unable to conclude that the Government's interest in the employee's participation in the investigation outweighs the concern that a reasonable person may question the integrity of the investigation, even though the employee has severed all financial ties with the company. Based on consideration of all relevant circumstances, the agency designee might determine, however, that it is in the interest of the Government for the employee to participate in the review of a routine filing by the particular brokerage house.

Example 3 paragraph (d): An Internal Revenue Service employee involved in a long and complex tax audit learns that their child has just accepted an entry-level management position with a corporation whose taxes are the subject of the audit. Because the audit is essentially complete and because the employee is the only one with an intimate knowledge of the case, the agency designee might determine, after considering all relevant circumstances, that it is in the Government's interest for the employee to complete the audit, which is subject to additional levels of review.

(e)Recusal. Unless the employee is authorized to participate in the matter under paragraph (d) of this section, an employee may not participate in a particular matter involving specific parties when the employee or the agency designee has concluded, in accordance with paragraph (a) or (c) of this section, that the financial interest of a member of the employee's household, or the role of a person with whom the employee has a covered relationship, is likely to raise a question in the mind of a reasonable person about the employee's impartiality. Recusal is accomplished by not participating in the matter. When the covered relationship is with a former employer, this recusal requirement is for a period of one year after the date of the employee's resignation from the position with the former employer.

(1)Notification. Employees who become aware of the need to recuse from participating in a particular matter involving specific parties to which they have been assigned must take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that they do not participate in the matter. Appropriate oral or written notification of their recusal may be made to an agency ethics official, coworkers, or a supervisor to document and help effectuate the recusal.

(2)Documentation. Employees need not file written recusal statements unless they are required by part 2634 of this chapter to file written evidence of compliance with an ethics agreement with the Office of Government Ethics or a designated agency ethics official, or are specifically directed by an agency ethics official or the person responsible for their assignments to file written recusal statements. However, it is often prudent for employees to create a record of their actions by providing written notice to an agency ethics official, a supervisor, or other appropriate official.

(f)Irrelevant considerations. An employee's reputation for honesty and integrity is not a relevant consideration for purposes of any determination required by this section.

Note 2 to § 2635.502 :

Nothing in this section should be construed to suggest that employees should not participate in a matter because of their political, religious, or moral views.

5 C.F.R. §2635.502

89 FR 43695, 8/15/2024