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Office of The Assistant General Counsel for Administration
Employment and Labor Law Division | Ethics Division | General Law Division
Welcome to the Ethics Division
The Ethics Division staff of the Office of the Assistant General Counsel
for Administration is responsible for providing advice to Department of
Commerce employees regarding conflict of interest statutes, ethics regulations,
and related laws, including those concerning restrictions on engaging
in some political activities and on gifts to the Department and to Commerce
agencies. To ensure that advisory services are readily available, an attorney
is assigned each day to answer telephone questions and e-mail inquiries
to the Ethics Division.
The Division is also responsible for operating the Department’s financial disclosure program, through which reports are collected from employees and reviewed to identify potential conflicts of interest, and ethics training program, under which briefings are provided to employees on ethics statutes, regulations, and policies.
Statutes and Regulations
Department of Commerce employees are subject to conflict of interest
statutes, 18 U.S.C. §§ 201-203, 205, 207-209, and the Standards
of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, 5 C.F.R. Part
2635. Subjects covered by these rules include financial conflicts of interest,
appearance problems created by personal relationships, gifts, non-Federal
employment and outside activities, misuse of Government resources, and
post-employment restrictions. Employees are also subject to a statute,
the Hatch Act, regarding restrictions on engaging in certain political
activities.
Financial Disclosure Reports
Employees in senior positions, including procurement officials,
are required to file a financial disclosure report, in which the employee
provides information regarding financial interests, sources of income,
liabilities, gifts received, and non-Federal positions held. Some reports
are available to the public (SF 278s); others are confidential (OGE Form
450). All are reviewed by the Ethics Division staff to identify potential
conflicts and to advise employees on corrective measures.
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