5 U.S.C. 301, 7301, 7351, 7353; 5 U.S.C. App. (Ethics in Government Act of 1978); E.O. 12674, 54 FR 15159, 3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 215, as modified by E.O. 12731, 55 FR 42547, 3 CFR, 1990 Comp., p. 306; 5 CFR 2635.105, 2635.203(a), 2635.204(k), 2635.803.
In accordance with 5 CFR 2635.105, the regulations in this part apply to employees of the Department of Defense (DoD) and supplement the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch contained in 5 CFR part 2635. DoD employees are required to comply with part 2635, this part, and implementing guidance and procedures.
(a) Pursuant to 5 CFR 2635.203(a), each of the following components of DoD is designated as a separate agency for purposes of the regulations in subpart B of 5 CFR part 2635 governing gifts from outside sources and 5 CFR 2635.807 governing teaching, speaking and writing:
(1) Department of the Army;
(2) Department of the Navy;
(3) Department of the Air Force;
(4) Defense Commissary Agency;
(5) Defense Contract Audit Agency;
(6) Defense Finance and Accounting Service;
(7) Defense Information Systems Agency;
(8) Defense Intelligence Agency;
(9) Defense Investigative Service;
(10) Defense Logistics Agency;
(11) Defense Mapping Agency;
(12) Defense Nuclear Agency;
(13) National Security Agency;
(14) Office of the Inspector General; and
(15) Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
(b) Employees of DoD components not designated as separate agencies, including employees of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, will be treated as employees of DoD which shall be treated as a single agency that is separate from the above listed agencies for purposes of determining whether the donor of a gift is a prohibited source under 5 CFR 2635.203(d) and for identifying the DoD employee's agency under 5 CFR 2635.807 governing teaching, speaking and writing.
In addition to the gifts which come within the exceptions set forth in 5 CFR 2635.204, and subject to all provisions of 5 CFR 2635.201 through 2635.205, a DoD employee may accept gifts from outside sources otherwise prohibited by 5 CFR 2635.202(a) as follows:
(a)
(1) The agency designee has determined that the community relations interests of the agency will be served by the DoD employee's attendance;
(2) The cost of the DoD employee's and the spouse's attendance is provided by the sponsor in accordance with 5 CFR 2635.204(g)(5); and
(3) The gift of free attendance meets the definition in 5 CFR 2635.204(g)(4).
(b)
(1) The scholarship or grant is made as part of an established program of grants or awards that is funded, wholly or in part, to ensure its continuation on a regular basis and under which recipients are selected pursuant to written standards; or
(2) The scholarship or grant is established for the benefit of DoD employees, or the dependents of DoD employees, and recipients are selected pursuant to written standards approved by the Secretary of Defense or, where the scholarship or grant is available only to military members or their dependents, by the Secretary of the military department concerned.
The following limitations shall apply to gifts from groups of DoD employees that include a subordinate and to voluntary contributions to gifts for superiors permitted under 5 CFR 2635.304(c)(1):
(a)
(1) The cost of items excluded from the definition of a gift by 5 CFR 2635.203(b) and the cost of food, refreshments and entertainment provided to the DoD employee and his personal guests to mark the occasion for which the gift is given shall not be included in determining whether the value of a gift or gifts exceeds the $300 aggregate limit.
(2) The value of a gift or gifts from two or more donating groups shall be aggregated and shall be considered to be from a single donating group if the DoD employee offered the gift knows or has reason to know that an individual who is his subordinate is a member of more than one of the donating groups.
(b)
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
A DoD employee shall not knowingly solicit or make solicited sales to DoD personnel who are junior in rank, grade or position, or to the family members of such personnel, on or off duty. In the absence of coercion or intimidation, this does not prohibit the sale or lease of a DoD employee's noncommercial personal or real property or commercial sales solicited and made in a retail establishment during off-duty employment. The posting of an advertisement in accordance with Federal building management policies does not constitute solicitation for purposes of this section.
(a) A DoD employee, other than a special Government employee, who is required to file a financial disclosure report (SF 450 or SF 278) shall obtain written approval from the agency designee before engaging in a business activity or compensated outside employment with a prohibited source, unless general approval has been given in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section. Approval shall be granted unless a determination is made that the business activity or compensated outside employment is expected to involve conduct prohibited by statute or regulation. For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(b) The DoD component designated agency ethics official or designee may, by a written notice, exempt categories of business activities or employment from the requirement of paragraph (a) of this section, for prior approval based on a determination that business activities or employment within those categories would generally be approved and are not likely to involve conduct prohibited by statute or regulation.
A DoD employee who uses or permits the use of his military rank or who includes or permits the inclusion of his title or position as one of several biographical details given to identify himself in connection with teaching, speaking or writing, in accordance with 5 CFR 2635.807(b), shall make a disclaimer if the subject of the teaching, speaking or writing deals in significant part with any ongoing or announced policy, program or operation of the DoD employee's agency, as defined in § 3601.102, and the DoD employee has not been authorized by appropriate agency authority to present that material as the agency's position. The disclaimer shall be made as follows:
(a) The required disclaimer shall expressly state that the views presented are those of the speaker or author and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.
(b) Where a disclaimer is required for an article, book or other writing, the disclaimer will be printed in a reasonably prominent position in the writing itself.
(c) Where a disclaimer is required for a speech or other oral presentation, the disclaimer may be given orally provided it is given at the beginning of the oral presentation.